“AGT”: You May Be Surprised To Learn What The Season 19 Winner Is Doing Today

Richard Goodall—AKA “the singing janitor”—won the million-dollar prize on AGT in September and went right back to his life and job in Indiana.

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Richard became an instant star after he wowed judges and fans with his audition during the first episode of Season 19. The shy singer performed a shocking cover of Don’t Stop Believin’ and earned the prized Golden Buzzer. From that moment on, he was the clear fan favorite.

But despite the fame, Richard is still the “same guy” as he was before the big win.

“I’m doing singing things, but I’m still at the school,” he told TODAY. “I’m still a janitor.”

“Not much has changed,” he continued. “I mean, I have a manager now, and at some point, I’ll probably have to take a leave of absence for a while and then assess and see if I would stay or start singing. But for the most part, other than singing out, I’m still the same person, same guy, not changed.”

Richard Goodall has been a janitor at West Vigo High School in Terre Haute, Indiana, for 23 years. When he returned from Los Angeles with his AGT title, the students gave him a hero’s welcome. But now the excitement has faded, and he’s okay with that.

“I’m not saying that — I don’t want to say fame — but the fame is kind of wearing off because they see me Monday through Friday,” he shared. “Everybody says hi and asks me how I’m doing and what’s going on in my life.”

“They just see me all the time,” he noted. “So it’s kind of, you know, it’s just Richard.”

While the 55-year-old is settling back into his career, he’s not giving up on singing. Richard Goodall has performed The National Anthem several times since his AGT win, and he has a few more performances lined up. This month, he’ll open a show for judge Howie Mandel. And in January, he’ll start giving “regular concerts.”

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.