Richard Goodall’s song choice in the “America’s Got Talent” finals had a secret meaning for at least one person in the audience Tuesday night.


WTWO hosts Richard Goodall's send off to AGT | 102.7 WBOW | The Valley's Greatest Hits | Terre Haute, INRICHARD GOODALL

Goodall told reporters with Terre Haute’s WTWO-TV following the show that he choose to perform a cover of Journey’s 1983 hit, “Faithfully” because that’s his song with fiancée Angie Vanoven.

“I wanted my journey to be like a bookend,” he told WTWO, “I started with Journey, I’m gonna finish with Journey, close the book.”

And that’s not all Goodall shared: The Season 19 favorite and Terre Haute native said he and Vanoven planned to get married in Pasadena, California, on Sept. 18.

Richard Goodall and Angie’s love story started with music

Richard Goodall returns home to a crowd of support | MyWabashValley.com

Goodall told IndyStar in May that he started performing at karaoke nights in the ’90s and eventually moved to the contest circuit with local radio stations. Then the COVID-19 pandemic put the world on pause, and in June 2021, his longtime wife, Patty, died of cancer.

“When you’re married for so long and they pass away and you’ve got that void there, your biggest concern is figuring out who you are without them,” he said. “And music was the bridge again.”

Goodall said a karaoke night a few months after his wife’s death was the catalyst for a new phase of his life — and finding new love. A fellow janitor posted to Facebook that he was going to be at a bar with his karaoke system, and it prompted Goodall to start singing publicly again.

He continued appearing at the bar and on the bar’s Facebook page, which Vanoven followed. The couple connected and started talking on New Year’s Day 2022, he said, “and the rest is me and her history.”Watch Richard Goodall perform in the ‘America’s Got Talent’ finals

Which America’s Got Talent acts advanced to the finals?

Six acts advanced to the finals from the Sept. 11 semifinals show, and four received Live Show Golden Buzzers that advanced them directly to the finals. Here are the finalists for Season 19, with the Golden Buzzer recipients noted with an asterisk.

Janitor Richard Goodall Sings An Unforgettable Cover Of "Faithfully" By Journey - Diary of Music

Roni Sagi & Rhythm (dancer and dancing dog)
Sky Elements (aerial drones)
Learnmore Jonasi (stand-up comedian)
Solange Kardinaly (quick-change magician)
Brent Street (dance group)
Richard Goodall (singer)
Hakuna Matata Acrobats* (acrobatics group)
AIRFOOTWORKS* (dance group)
Dee Dee Simon* (singer)
Sebastian and Sonia* (aerialists)

When is the AGT finale?

The results for Season 19 will air Sept. 24. After a one-hour countdown special beginning at 8 p.m. ET, results will be read during a two-hour event beginning at 9 p.m.