Janitor becomes global sensation from 'Don't Stop Believin'' performance

Alicia Vitarelli Image
Friday, July 22, 2022
"Journey Janitor": From Cleaning up Classrooms to Cleaning up Likes and Shares
The so-called "Journey Janitor," who tore up the stage at an Indiana Elementary School graduation ceremony is now a global sensation.

The so-called "Journey Janitor," who tore up the stage at an Indiana Elementary School graduation ceremony is now a global sensation.

When you hear it, it's no surprise why his version of Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin' has been watched and adored more than 10 million times.

"It's humbling and it's fun, but I'm still the same person," says 53-year-old Richard Goodall, who has been in custodial services for 20 years.

"I'm always going to be me, just me."

The teachers know Goodall can sing, so they always encourage him to get up on stage at school events.

"To me, that's part of my job," Goodall says. "I'm not just the guy that wipes the tables down and takes up the trash, I like people to smile and be happy."

Goodall even got a message from former Journey frontman Steve Perry, who shared the video on Twitter writing: "I love this."

The band echoed those sentiments on TikTok.

"I was in tears because this is the stuff that I grew up on, the people that I listened to," Goodall says.

"I don't have any formal training. I've never been to college. When I was a kid, I had speakers all around my bedroom. I just turned on the Radio Shack stereo and I just belted it out."

Goodall says he picked 'Don't Stop Believin' to inspire the 5th-grade graduates.

He's not quitting his day job just yet, but he says he's open to any singing opportunities that might come his way.