This week, hopefuls for the landmark Season 20 of America’s Bought Expertise had been set to make the journey to Pasadena, California and be a part of the present’s open name auditions forward of the sequence returning within the 2025 TV schedule (seemingly someday in Might). Nevertheless, the venue is at present getting used as an emergency evacuation middle for the Pink Cross after the Eaton Fireplace erupted within the Los Angeles metropolis final week. Once I scheduled my interview with Season 19 winner Richard Goodall earlier this month, each of us didn’t count on to be speaking about the devastating wildfires within the area, which he now feels related to.
Throughout my dialog with the Indiana native who blew our minds final yr for being the “singing janitor” along with his viral “Don’t Cease Believin’” audition earlier than changing into Heidi Klum’s golden buzzer choose and finally the Season 19 champion, he recalled his whirlwind finale week. Once I requested about getting married to his spouse, Angie Vanoven, simply few days earlier than changing into the AGT winner, he mentioned this:
Effectively, it was very pleased and only recently, there was a bit little bit of unhappiness to it. We had an incredible time throughout the road from [the Pasadena Civic Auditorium] is a shopping mall. There is a fountain upstairs, and that is the place we received married proper there by the Mexican restaurant. That is the place we needed to go. AGT helped arrange the little room the place we might have cake.
Richard Goodall not solely has nice reminiscences being on the AGT stage throughout his season, however the metropolis additionally grew to become the venue for his marriage. He received married proper subsequent to the El Cholo Café, throughout from the Pasadena Civic Heart earlier than heading to west Los Angeles to have a flowery dinner along with his spouse. As he shared:
After which, that night time they helped us arrange attending to exit to eat at Moonshadows, there in Malibu. And I only recently heard that it was part of the Pacific Palisades hearth. It burnt down together with different eating places. So it was kinda unhappy to know, however I imply at the very least we received to expertise that. Superb restaurant. It was a lot enjoyable. And the surroundings was simply completely attractive.
Whereas the Pasadena space he spoke of is fortunately nonetheless standing after the Eaton Fireplace, there’s some “unhappiness” now round their memorable night time out in Malibu since Moonshadows not too long ago was a casualty of the Palisades hearth. Per the long-lasting restaurant’s web site, the oceanfront property was misplaced within the hearth on January 8 after over 40 years in enterprise.
The homeowners are at present elevating cash for his or her staff on GoFundMe after the tragedy. Goodall additionally mentioned this:
However Angie and I had been so pleased that we might do it throughout that point, which made it even simply that rather more particular, as a result of we did it in between reveals. The finale was taped on a Tuesday, we received married on Wednesday, after which that Thursday, we filmed the grand finale. It was a fairly busy week. We received married the night time earlier than I received.
Profitable America’s Bought Expertise is one large feat, particularly contemplating Simon Cowell was so type to the singer, describing him as “one of the vital memorable contestants we’ve had in an extended, very long time” regardless of being additionally vital of him throughout one efficiency). Together with the massive win and attending to say “I do” to his individual, he additionally received to play with Journey member Neal Schon, which he advised me was “on the next shelf” than he might ever think about for his personal bucket checklist.
When recalling his expertise on the sequence, Goodall had solely good issues to say about his time in Los Angeles throughout Season 19. In his phrases:
The truth that folks simply supported me as a lot as they did meant the world to Angie and I each. And, I completely beloved each single second on the present. The folks behind the scenes are equally as superb because the celeb judges out entrance. I realized a lot from them. I attempted to be as a lot of a sponge as I might be, as a result of coming from small city Indiana, after which flying all the best way out to LA and going to Pasadena, it is rather a lot. There’s rather a lot on the market. There’s rather a lot happening always. However, the AGT crew are superb. I did not need to undergo something on my own or alone. Anytime I ever had an issue, whereas I needed to inform ’em what was happening, and so they had been, they had been utterly great. The strangers in Pasadena had been superb. My spouse, my Angie’s proper right here with me, and he or she mentioned, even the strangers had been superb, you already know?
Venturing to California to attempt his luck on America’s Bought Expertise was even the singer’s first flight ever – on the age of 55. These days, he’s getting used to travelling extra, having simply carried out in Indio, California and Greensville, Pennsylvania and with extra gigs on the horizon. The winner is at present additionally engaged on his personal music, holding his “voice as much as form” and looking out ahead to rooting for the subsequent contestants on Season 20 of AGT.