Indiana Janitor's Stunning Singing Talent Goes Viral On TikTok

So there I am, mindlessly scrolling through TikTok, when I briefly stopped on a preview for the upcoming season of America's Got Talent (AGT). Normally I would keep scrolling (I couldn't tell you the last time I watched an episode), but there was something - someone, actually - that caught my attention and made me keep watching. I'll explain after you take a look at the clip. Focus on that very first fella.

As soon as I heard "I'm a janitor" and "the kids call me Mr. Richard" I knew exactly who I was looking at. I think you'll want to know who he is too.

Richard has been the janitor at Davis Park Elementary School in Terre Haute, Indiana for nearly 30 years, and the dude can flat-out sing! I first learned about Richard's talent in 2022 when I saw him in another TikTok that went viral.

The video was taken at a school assembly when Richard got up on stage rocking a pair of jeans, sneakers, a ball cap, and a stereotypically large set of keys hanging from his belt. He grabbed the microphone as "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey started to play. When you see/hear what followed, you will understand why the video went viral, and why I'm excited to see what happens on AGT.

@mdenehie #fyp #schooljanitors #blowhimup #blesshissoul #amazing ♬ To use this video in a commercial player or in b - Mariah Elizabeth Den

I'm not sure the students could truly appreciate what they heard, but the adults in the crowd were impressed. Right after the first line of the song, you can hear someone near the camera say "Oh, God!". You can hear the surprise in her voice.

It's obvious that Richard has talent, and hopefully, the judges on AGT will agree and vote him through to the next round of the competition. Season 19 of AGT premieres on Tuesday, May 28th at 7pm on NBC and/or the Peacock app. I'm assuming that Richard will perform on this episode, although I don't know for sure. I do know that I'll be watching and cheering on my fellow Hoosier.

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