Richard Goodall still hasn’t come down from cloud nine since winning Season 19 of America’s Got Talent on Tuesday (September 24), especially after performing alongside his idol, Journey guitarist Neal Schon.
The singing school janitor took to his Facebook page on Thursday (September 26), where he thanked Neal and his wife, Michaele Schon. Goodall and Schon performed Journey’s 1981 classic “Don’t Stop Believin’” on Tuesday’s grand final, which was a full circle moment for Goodall, who went viral in 2023 for performing the karaoke favorite at a school in his hometown of Terre Haute, Indiana.
“I will never forget this for the rest of my life! Neal & Michaele Schon we’re so wonderful to Angela Vanoven and I. Truly a magical moment in our lives! From the bottom our hearts thank you Neal and Micheale Schon,” Goodall wrote on Facebook.
Schon shared his congratulations on his and his wife’s Facebook page, where he posted a video from the finale. “Congratulations Richard Goodall, America’s Got Talent winner,” Schon wrote.
On Wednesday (September 25), Schon reshared a clip of his and Goodall’s finale performance alongside a message from Howie Mandel, who wrote, “A janitor named Richard Goodall auditioned for #AGT with “Don’t Stop Believing.” Now, he’s performing with Journey at the Finale. Dreams really do come true!”
Goodall won America’s hearts throughout his time on AGT with soulful renditions of “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You,” “Eye of the Tiger,” and “Faithfully.” He was crowned the Season 19 champion on Tuesday night, beating out dog act Rani & Rhythm, who finished as runner-up.
“You showed the world that it’s never to late to follow your dreams! You never stopped believing, no matter what you faced and inspired so many to never give up,” one fan wrote on Goodall’s latest Facebook post.
“Such a cool moment!!! Rocking out with an awesome band! SO happy for you and all you’ve got and get to experience. Enjoy!” said another.
“The new lead singer of Journey,” another added.
Fans also praised Schon for taking part, with one commenter saying, “Neal, thanks for doing this. We need more people like you and the members of journey that go the extra mile to give someone an unforgettable experience. God bless !!!”
“I cry when I hear Richard sing… tears of joy for him. I love seeing someones dreams come true. Bless you for gifting him with your presence to sing this iconic song together,” said another.
“Thank you for your support of this kind, humble and extremely talented man. Congratulations again Richard,” another fan added.
Another wrote, “I have always loved Journey and love them even more now.”
