An Indiana elementary school janitor went viral for his poignant rendition of Journey’s hit song “Don’t Stop Believin'” and recently caught the attention of Steve Perry himself, the band’s original lead singer and fellow . song writer.
Richard Goodall, 53, of Terre Haute, Indiana, works as a custodian at Davis Park Elementary School.
He has worked with the Vigo County School Corporation for over 20 years.
At the end of the school year, the staff and students were celebrating fifth grade graduation with a talent show.
At the end of the show, Goodall was asked by the teachers to step up to the microphone to sing, a moment that, unbeknownst to Goodall, would end up spreading joy across the internet.
“It was all organic,” Goodall, who is also a father, told Fox News Digital.
“I plugged in ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ and started singing and that was it.”
Teachers at Davis Park know of Goodall’s talent, so they ask her to sing almost every year.
@mdenehie
#fyp #schooljanitors #blowhimup #blesshissoul #amazing
♬ To use this video in commercial player or b – Mariah Elizabeth Den
Indiana janitor Richard Goodall went viral doing a cover of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” at a school talent show. richard goodall
He usually prepares a song like “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood.
But this year he chose Journey’s 1981 hit “Don’t Stop Believin'” to inspire kids.
“I just wanted them to not stop believing and thinking that they can do whatever they want,” Goodall said.
Going viral: ‘I never had this kind of response’
Mariah Denehie, a woman who works with one of Davis Park’s students with special needs, posted a video of Goodall’s performance on TikTok, Goodall said.
While singing, Goodall saw Denehie with her phone pointed at him, so she knew he was taking photos or recording video.
The next day, while Goodall was cleaning and waxing the school floors, Denehie told Goodall that she had posted a video of him on TikTok.
Richard Goodall said he sang “Don’t Stop Believin'” to inspire children. Mariah Denehie via Storyful
By then, the footage had garnered 107,000 views.
“I look at her like, ‘OK, is that good?’” Goodall recalled.
“And she says, ‘I’ve never had that many.'”
“By the end of the weekend, it was like a million,” Goodall added.
As of this week, the video has been viewed more than 3 million times.
Goodall had no idea it would go viral.
“I’ve never had this kind of response,” Goodall said, “I don’t know what to make of all this.”
The clip caught the attention of Steve Perry, the former Journey lead singer who helped co-write “Don’t Stop Believin.”
Perry responded to the video on Twitter on June 29, writing, “I love this.”
Perry also made the same comment on TikTok, where Goodall reposted the clip to her own profile.
The video has had 3 million views so far. Mariah Denehie via Storyful
Goodall responded: “I love your music, sir! Thank you for commenting this means a lot to me!!! Thank you.”
sang in his high school choir
Goodall has been singing for much of her life.
She sang in her high school choir.
Recently, he sang in a gospel choir for eight years until it closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Goodall said that her favorite thing about singing is that it gives something to others.
The Richard Goodall video even made its way to Journey singer Steve Perry. cinemagia
“I just like people to smile and have fun and forget their problems for three minutes and 30 seconds, no matter how long the song is,” Goodall said.
After going viral, Goodall auditioned virtually for the television show “The Voice.”
On the show, Goodall sang “Don’t Stop Believin'” again, but was rejected.
He said that he is not sure if he will audition for other acting programs.
After the video went viral, Richard Goodall auditioned for “The Voice” but was turned down.
He compared his viral fame to a roller coaster ride.
“When you start, you hear that metallic sound, and then you hear clink, clink, clink, and then you just start going up. It feels like it’s going up and I’m not sure what will come after that. It’s kind of a wild ride that I’m not used to.”
Until something else comes up, Goodall continues to work as a janitor at Davis Park.
“I’m just a normal person,” Goodall said.
“I’m happy,” he added. “I am so thankful to have food in my belly and a roof over my head and to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer.”
Source: nypost.com