America’s Got Talent took a break from the Season 20 competition on Tuesday night (August 12) to celebrate a milestone moment, looking back at 20 seasons of incredible talent with a special “AGT 20th Birthday Party” episode.
After a montage of memorable moments from the show’s history, Season 19 winner Richard Goodall kicked things off properly with a sensational performance of Survivor’s 1982 hit “Eye of the Tiger.” The beloved school janitor won the hearts of America last year with his powerful voice, amiable personality, and heartwarming backstory.
In a clip shared on the AGT Instagram page, Goodall watched his original audition, where he wowed the audience, as well as judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara, and Heidi Klum, with a jaw-dropping rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.”
“When I’m done singing, the crowd just screams,” Goodall recalled. “I never expected that reaction.”
Goodall’s audition received high praise from the judges and earned him Klum’s Golden Buzzer, sending him straight through to the live shows. After the golden confetti rained down, Goodall was unable to fight back the tears and let his emotions spill out on stage.
“Yeah, I couldn’t hold it together after that,” the 56-year-old singer shared in the present day, getting choked up as he rewatched the moment. “Before coming to America’s Got Talent, I’d never, ever been on a plane, never been west of Missouri, so all of this was an absolutely amazing time.”
After winning the hit competition series, Goodall returned to his home in Indiana and his day job as a school janitor. “I’m still at the school,” he told NBC in June 2025. “But things are going on behind the scenes, you know, some concerts are popping up. A lot of amazing things are just popping up, so I’ll continue to work at the school until, you know, I can’t anymore.”
That same month, he teased on Instagram that he’d been working on music projects amid a trip to Nashville. “Wow, what an amazing time I had in Nashville! So many things happening behind the scenes that I can tell you about soon!” Goodall captioned a photo from the trip.
Goodall wasn’t the only AGT alum who returned to take part in Tuesday’s festivities. During his performance, he was backed by Season 17 percussion group The Pack Drumline and Season 19 dancers of Los Osos High School.
Other performers included Season 17 saxophonist Avery Dixon, Season 17 singer Sara James, Season 12 rollerblade duo Billy and Emily England, and Season 15 aerialist Alan Silva.
Regular Season 20 episodes will return next Tuesday (August 19) when the Quarterfinals begin. There will also be a results show added to the schedule on Wednesdays, which will air for an hour at 8 p.m.
America’s Got Talent, Season 20, Tuesdays and Wednesdays (beginning August 20), 8/7c, NBC
