A janitor at an Indiana elementary school went viral for his poignant performance of the popular Journey song “Don’t Stop Believin'” and recently caught the attention of Steve Perry, the band’s original lead vocalist and co-writer.
Richard Goodall, 53, of Terre Haute, Indiana, conducts cleaning duties at Davis Park Elementary School.
He’s worked for the Vigo County School Corporation for almost 20 years.
At the end of the school year, teachers and students celebrated the fifth-grade graduation with a talent performance.
At the end of the event, the professors requested that Goodall take the microphone and sing—a moment that, unbeknownst to Goodall, would spread pleasure over the internet.
“It was all organic,” Goodall, a father, told Fox News Digital.
“I plugged in ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ and started singing, and that’s what it was.”
Goodall’s skill is well known among Davis Park instructors, who invite him to sing virtually every year.
Richard Goodall, an Indiana janitor, went viral after performing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” at a school talent event. Richard Goodall
He usually prepares a tune, such as Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.”
However, this year, he picked the 1981 Journey classic “Don’t Stop Believin'” to motivate the students.
“I just wanted them to not stop believing and thinking they could do whatever they wanted,” Goodall recalled.
According to Goodall, Mariah Denehie, a woman who works with one of Davis Park’s special needs students, shared a video of Goodall’s performance on TikTok.
While singing, Goodall noticed Denehie with her phone directed at him, indicating that she was either taking photographs or filming a video.
@the_official_ben_story We witness Richard Goodall get the golden buzzer on @America’s Got Talent for singing Don’t Stop Believin’ by @JOURNEY FLAWLESSLY! #RichardGoodall #GoldenBuzzer #FYP #AGT #Journey #DontStopBelievin #Amazing #Janitor ♬ original sound – Ben S.
The next day, when Goodall was cleaning and waxing the school floors, Denehie informed him that she had put a video of him on TikTok.
Richard Goodall stated that he sang “Don’t Stop Believin'” to motivate the children. Mariah Denehie via Storyful.
The video had received 107,000 views by that point.
“I’m looking at her like, ‘OK, is that good?'” Goodall recalls.
“And she goes, ‘I’ve never had that many.'”
“By the end of the weekend, it was like a million,” Goodall explained.
Over three million people had seen the film as of this week.
Goodall had no idea he’d become viral.
“I’ve never had this kind of response,” Goodall commented. “I don’t know what to think of all this.”
Steve Perry, the former lead vocalist of Journey and co-writer of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” saw and heard the tape.
Perry commented on the video on Twitter on June 29, writing, “I love this.”
The video has received 3 million views so far. Goodall expressed appreciation for Mariah Denehie’s song via Storyful. Thank you for your feedback; it means a lot to me!! “Thank you.”
Goodall has been singing for much of his life.
He sang in his high school chorus.
He recently performed in a gospel chorus for eight years, but it closed due to the coronavirus epidemic.
Goodall stated that he loves singing because it benefits others.
Richard Goodall’s video even reached Journey vocalist Steve Perry. FilmMagic
Goodall stated, “I just like people to smile, have fun, and forget their problems for three minutes and 30 seconds—however long the song is.”
After becoming viral, Goodall submitted a virtual audition for the television show “The Voice.”
The show rejected Goodall’s attempt to sing “Don’t Stop Believin'” again.
He stated that he was unsure whether he would audition for any more performance shows.
Richard Goodall tried out for “The Voice” after the video went viral, but they rejected him.
He likened his viral stardom to a rollercoaster.
“When you first start off, you hear that clank, followed by clink, clink, clink—and then you just start going up. It seems like I’m going up, and I’m not sure what comes next. It’s just a crazy trip that I’m not accustomed to.”
Until anything else comes along, Goodall will keep working as a janitor at Davis Park.
“I’m just a regular person,” Goodall explained.
“I’m happy,” he said. “I’m so thankful that I have food in my belly and a roof over my head, as well as that I’m warm in the winter and cool in the summer.”