Meet singing janitor Richard Goodall who went viral after singing Don’t Stop Believin by Journey. His performance was seen and heard by millions across the world and even reached the ear of the original singer. Learn more about him in this article.
Here we cover his age, wife, Instagram, and other details.
Meet Richard Goodall, The Singing Janitor
Indiana-based school janitor went viral after covering the song “Don’t Stop Believin”. The song caught the attention of Steve Perry, the original singer of the band Journey, who also co-wrote it. He is working at an elementary school for more than two decades.
At the end of the school year, staff and students were celebrating the fifth-grade graduation with a talent show. The teachers requested Richard to sing at the end of the event, and little did he anticipate that his performance would end up bringing people together online.
“It was all organic,” Richard, who’s also a father, told Fox News Digital. “I plugged in ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ and I just started singing and that’s what it was”. The teachers at the elementary school were familiar with Richard’s singing talent hence they asked him to take the stage at the event.
Richard told the outlet that he usually prepares songs like Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA. However, this year, he chose the 1981 Journey hit Don’t Stop Believin to inspire the kids.
Richard said, “I just wanted them to not stop believing and thinking they can do whatever they want”.
According to Richard, a woman named Mariah Denehie, who works with a Davis Park kid who has special needs, uploaded a video of her performance to TikTok. He noticed Denehie pointing her phone at him as he was singing, so he knew she was either recording a video or snapping pictures. Richard was cleaning and waxing the school floors the following day when Denehie informed him that she had uploaded a video of him to TikTok.
The footage by then had garnered 107,000 views. “I’m looking at her like, ‘OK, is that good?’” Goodall recalled. “And she goes, ‘I’ve never had that man'”.
By the end of the weekend, the video crossed a million views. The video has been watched more than 3 million times as of this article. Richard never expected that his singing would go viral.
“I’ve never had this kind of response,” Richard said, “I don’t know what to think of all this”.
Steve, the lead singer of Journey, responded and wrote, “I love this”. He also commented the same things on TikTok where Richard reposted the response on his own profile. Richard responded, “Love your music sir!!! Thank you for commenting this means much to me!!! Thank you”.
Is Richard Goodall On TikTok?
Richard Goodall uses many social media platforms including TikTok (@rg69rich). He is also available on Instagram (@richard.goodall) and Facebook (@richard.goodall.718).
How Much Is Richard Goodall Net Worth?
In 2022 at the time of this article, Richard Goodall’s net worth is estimated to be around $400K. He has a job at Davis Park Elementary School doing custodial work (janitor). According to The Post, he has been employed with the Vigo County School Corporation for over 20 years.
Richard is one of the three employees in the school currently working as a custodian. In Indiana, according to ZipRecruiter.com, a custodian makes a salary of $27,704 per year or $11 per hour.
On his TikTok, Richard posted a snap of the result of a virtual open call in The Voice. On the program, Richard sang “Don’t Stop Believin’” again — but he was turned down. Based on the post, he didn’t make it to the next round however he had plans to audition for America’s Got Talent.
He has been singing for as long as he could remember. He sang in the high school choir and sang gospel for eight years.
Richard’s newfound fame, he compared to a roller coaster. He also added that unless an opportunity comes up, he will be working at the school.
Richard Goodall Age
Reports regarding Richard Goodall are conflicting because The Post reported his age to be 53 years old. Meanwhile, his wife in October 2020 wished him his 51st birthday so he should be 52 years old as of July 2022.
Richard Goodall Wife
Richard Goodall’s wife is Patricia Sue Goodall. Patricia was born to Joseph Grist and Virginia Atkins Grist on 2 April 1947. But the married couple’s life turned upside down when she was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had her kidney removed. Patricia shared that cancer metastasized throughout her bones the pain was unbelievable.
Patricia died on 21 June 2021 at the age of 74. She left behind three children Angela Vennard (Patton), Alicia Dammann (Edward), and Allen Goodall, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. She lost her son Robert D. Patton a while back.
Patricia was a very supportive wife who shared about her husband’s scheduled performances on her Facebook.
As for Richard, he has moved on. He has been engaged since New Year’s Day 2022. In March 2022, he posted a picture of himself alongside a lady who could be his new fiance.
How Tall Is Richard Goodall?
Richard Goodall’s height measures under 5’10”. He also lost a lot of weight in 2015 by undergoing bypass surgery.
Related FAQs
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Where Does Richard Goodall Reside?
Currently, Richard Goodall calls Terre Haute, Indiana his place of residence.
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When Is Richard Goodall Birthday?
According to Patricia’s Facebook post, Richard Goodall celebrates his birthday on 9 October.
