Michael W. Michelsen Jr.

It’s not often that a school custodian returns from a hiatus to be greeted with a pep rally, complete with hundreds of screaming students. But that’s exactly what happened last year when Richard Goodall returned to his workplace, West Virgo Middle School in West Terre Haute, Indiana, after winning the 19th season of America’s Got Talent (AGT), a televised talent competition. Second time’s a charm A life-long music lover, Goodall has performed for family members, with an all-male musical group called Man-O-Pause, and for what he calls “my kids,” the students at West Virgo Middle School. Goodall auditioned for another television talent show, The Voice, but didn’t make the cut. He auditioned unsuccessfully for AGT the first time in 2009, but it was his second audition, more than 10 years later, that clinched his participation. Goodall was initially met with skepticism. Still, after only the first few notes of his rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin,’” everyone was on their feet clapping and dancing. For the qualifying round, Goodall belted out Michael Bolton’s classic “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You?” For the semifinals, he sang Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.” And for his finale, Goodall returned to Journey’s catalog, singing “Faithfully.” Journey guitarist Neal Schon and other members of the group joined him onstage. Keeping his day job From nearly the beginning, it was clear Goodall was the one to beat, topping dog act Roni Sagi and Rhythm and an electric drone group Sky Elements to claim the top prize of US$1 million. “Winning AGT means so much to me,” he said. “Simon [Cowell, one of the AGT judges] said two minutes can change your life. It has transformed mine, and I’d like to help others, one song at a time.” The full prize amount is paid out over 40 years. Winners who want an instant cash-out will receive the present value of the annuity. Some winners go on to earn more money by appearing in other shows, releasing music albums, or having successful residencies in Las Vegas. We don’t know what Goodall’s future will bring. But one year later, his day-to-day life has not changed too drastically since his big win, except in one major aspect. Just before the AGT finale, he decided to marry his fiancée, Angie Vanoven. “It was long overdue. I had proposed to her a very long time ago, and she had the ring and everything,” he told Billboard. “The thought had just crossed both our minds at the same time that it was just the time to do it.”

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Michael W. Michelsen Jr.

Freelance Writer

Articles by Michael W. Michelsen Jr.

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