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Richard Goodall's "Eye of the Tiger" Cover Draws Rocky Comparison from Simon Cowell
Richard Goodall has come a long way from being a shy janitor singing in the hallways of his school.
Anyone else feel like running up some art museum steps after Richard Goodall's amazing America's Got Talent performance?
The singer brought plenty of big cat energy to the AGT Semifinals as the janitor-turned-Golden Buzzer superstar delivered an unforgettable cover of Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger." As movie lovers know, the iconic pump-up jam that continues to play at sporting events all over the world was originally written for the Rocky III soundtrack.
"Every song that I sing means something in my life," Goodall explained ahead of his performance. "I've been singing in the halls for 23 years. I know how lucky I am to be here and it's not wasted on me. Hopefully, this song connects with people."
When asked why he chose this track specifically, Goodall answered: "I'm fightin' for it, plain and simple. I got this shot. I'm like Rocky, I gotta go for it."
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Goodall will officially be moving on to the Finals alongside dance group Brent Street, stand-up comedian Learnmore Jonasi, dog-human dance duo Roni Sagi & Rhythm, drone-happy Sky Elements, and quick-change magician Solange Kardinaly.
Richard Goddall covers "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor's during America's Got Talent Semifinals
Dressed in a sparkling shirt and his usual flap cap, Goodall belted out the lyrics to "Eye of the Tiger" with all the fervor of a young Dave Bickler. Backing him up was a group of four musicians: bassist, keyboard player, drummer, and a particularly enthusiastic electric guitarist. The beat was truly infectious; so much so, that Host Terry Crews couldn't help dancing backstage.
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What did the Judges say about Richard Goodall's Semifinal Performance?
"Are you kidding me right now?!" demanded an ecstatic Heidi Klum (Goodall's Golden Buzzer benefactor) as the audience exploded with unbridled adulation. "Epic performance! Honestly, I thought that you could not top what you'd done last time, but you did it. You topped it. You topped it, topped it, topped it. America, please — you have to vote for Richard!"
"It was the last song in the world I would expect you to sing, [but] it doesn't matter because people love you," said Simon Cowell, going on to compare Godall to Rocky Balboa. "There's something ironic about the fact that you've chosen a really underdog song and you are like the underdog in a way, but in a really positive way. And it was like you just got to the top of the steps. I love that!"
Sofia Vergara continued: "I love that you picked such an iconic song. The people love you. It was amazing. I'm so happy for you. Enjoy this!"
"You have the biggest heart in this whole competition," finished Howie Mandel as Heidi attempted to bolster his excitement level. "We feel the love and we love you."
Live episodes of AGT air every Tuesday and Wednesday at 8/7c. You can stream them the next day on Peacock.
