Richard Goodall might have won Season 19 of America’s Got Talent earlier this year, but he hasn’t quit his day job… not yet, anyway.
The fan-favorite singer recently spoke to Today.com, where he shared an update on his life and career two months after winning AGT. In the interview, he confirmed that he’s still working as a janitor at a middle school in Terre Haute, Indiana, and remains the same person he was before AGT shot him to fame.
“I’m doing singing things, but I’m still at the school. I’m still a janitor,” he told the outlet. “Not much has changed. 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.”
Goodall, who has worked as a school janitor for 23 years, won the hearts of America when he appeared on the NBC competition series earlier this year. He immediately earned praise from the judges and viewers alike for his incredible audition, where he performed Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin.’”
Richard Goodall returns to school; WTHR YouTube
Things only grew from there, as Goodall advanced in the competition and soon became a front-runner after stunning performances of Michael Bolton’s “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” and Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.” He was crowned the winner on the September 24 season finale.
Despite this success, Goodall said the kids at school don’t treat him any differently. “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 said of the school children.
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“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, so it’s kind of, you know, it’s just Richard,” he added.
As for whether Goodall will remain at his janitor job depends on how his music career takes off over the next year. Speaking to NBC Insider, he shared, “I’m still at the school, but things are going on behind the scenes, you know, some concerts are popping up.”
He continued, “I’m actually leaving tomorrow for Riverside, California, to do a festival lights thing… A lot of amazing things are just popping up, and so I’ll continue to work at the school until, you know, I can’t anymore.”
Goodall and his wife Angela, whom he married just a few days before the AGT season finale, are currently soaking up all the excitement and taking things moment to moment.
“As far as I go and [my wife] go, this is the first time our life has been unscripted,” Goodall told Indiana-based WTHR. “AGT has not only changed our life, but money aside, the opportunities are kind of endless right now.”
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