Richard Goodall, the janitor from Indiana who charmed the America’s Got Talent judges with his rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” took the stage tonight to give his final performance before the winner is crowned on September 24.
Goodall performed Journey’s “Faithfully,” and the judges were blown away. They were similarly wowed by his initial performance, awarding him a Golden Buzzer. Now, he must prove that he has what it takes to be America’s most talented act.
The singing janitor was told before his performance that a member of Journey would be joining him on stage as he gave his own rendition of “Faithfully.” As for the judges’ feedback, Heidi Klum praised Goodall as “an amazing man” who turns into a “big rock star” when he gets on stage. Simon Cowell called Goodall “our hero,” noting that he’s “never crumbled” during the competition.
In a bold move, Howie Mandel predicted that Goodall could win America’s Got Talent based on his final performance. Clearly, Goodall stunned the judges once again, making him a strong contender in the competition.
Richard Goodall has been on a whirlwind of a journey on America’s Got Talent. He came all the way from Indiana, where he was a middle school janitor, and bravely took the stage to show off his skills. He is an unexpected fan favorite, and he has the chops to go all the way in the competition.
One of the benefits of winning America’s Got Talent is the monetary prize, of course. The show is offering $1 million to the winner, but what does that actually mean? Well, the winner will actually receive that cool million in cash, but there’s a disclaimer.
“The prize, which totals $1,000,000, is payable in a financial annuity over 40 years, or the contestant may choose to receive the present cash value of such annuity,” the show states at the end of every episode. This means the winner can choose to receive the money as a lump sum, or as a 40-year annuity.
If the winner chooses the annuity, they’ll only receive $25,000 each year before taxes. If they choose the lump sum, or “present cash value,” they’d receive nearer to $300,000 before taxes.
