‘America’s Got Talent’ School Janitor Richard Goodall Wows With Michael Bolton Song

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After previously wowing the judges during his audition back in May, Vigo County school janitor Richard Goodall stole the show again on Tuesday’s (August 13) edition of America’s Got Talent.

For those who might have missed it, Goodall earned a Golden Buzzer from judge Heidi Klum after his audition, where he performed a stunning rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” He returned to the stage on Tuesday where he took on another 1980s classic.

Goodall, who has been a janitor for over 20 years, sang Michael Bolton’s “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You.” He dedicated the performance to his fiancée, Angie, who was sitting in the audience. Goodall explained that Angie wasn’t able to travel with him to Los Angeles for his audition, which was taped last spring.

While Goodall didn’t receive another Golden Buzzer to advance him automatically to the finals, he did receive high praise from the judges.

“I just have a really soft, soft spot for you in my heart,” Klum shared.

Simon Cowell, who told Goodall after his audition, “I think America is going to love you,” said he “nailed” the performance, even if he personally wouldn’t have chosen that song. “You’re one of the most memorable contestants we’ve had for a long, long time,” he added.

“If you make it through, you really do have a shot winning this whole competition,” Cowell continued.

Goodall previously went viral after performing “Don’t Stop Believin'” for the kids at his school. A teaching assistant filmed the performance and uploaded it to TikTok, where it racked up millions of views within a week. The clip became so popular that Journey’s Steve Perry shared it on his own social media channels.

“By the time it reached 3 million, Journey and Steve Perry commented. Then Steve Perry, who’s a recluse and doesn’t say much at all, put me on all of his social media. His fans were commenting. Because if he’s on board, then it’s OK. If it was OK with Steve, then it was OK with them,” Goodall told Parade.

One of the AGT producers saw the video and later reached out to Goodall to see if he’d be interested in auditioning. “Four months later I got plane tickets on my phone and I’m flying by the seat of my pants. I never had been on a plane, never been west of Missouri, and I wasn’t ever expecting to either and I was OK with that,” he explained.

While Goodall didn’t receive the instant pass to the finals, another act on Tuesday’s live show earned Sofía Vergara’s Golden Buzzer. This season, each judge has one Live Show Golden Buzzer to send an act straight to the finals in the competition to win $1 million.

Vergara hit her Golden Buzzer for the four-piece Hakuna Matata Acrobats, who stunned the live audience with some incredible balancing feats.

“This is definitely one of the most ambitious acts I’ve seen on AGT,” Vergara said. “I mean, I can see the difference from the audition. You guys deserve to be here.”

The results show will air on Wednesday, August 14, 8 p.m. ET/PT.

America’s Got Talent, Season 19 Live Shows, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, Results Shows, Wednesdays at  8 p.m. ET/PT, NBC