E J Vickers, 23, felt his legs go weak in the vocal booth at Starstruck Entertainment on Music Row in Nashville. He hadn’t slept in more than 24 hours – in part because of anxious recording studio jitters but also because his lack of health insurance prevented him from getting his prescribed cancer medicine. He was physically unsteady. This mid-December day was his first swing back in the studio since doctors diagnosed him with testicular cancer on August 30, 2023.
Vickers underwent lifesaving surgery on August 31, 2023. After the singer spent more than one year recovering, Clearwater Records owner Robert Gomes booked Vickers’ studio time for December 10. The Indiana farm boy couldn’t wait for the opportunity.
With epochal producer, hit songwriter, and former A&R executive Josh Leo at the soundboard, Vickers took his place behind the microphone and started to sing. His distinct tenor is reminiscent of Vince Gill, but his vocal style leans toward Thomas Rhett. Vickers has perfect pitch and sound-color synesthesia, which means he sees specific colors when he hears certain notes – an invisible superpower of sorts that allows him to coordinate his vocals to match colors.
However, synesthesia doesn’t stabilize his legs. A few hours into the first morning, Vickers called for a stool and finished the day-long session seated. His vocal performance on the Ryan Hurd, Paul DiGiovanni-penned song “Can’t Take It With You” remained flawless.
“We grew up on the farm without much,” Vickers said. “The song’s lyrics already meant a lot to me, but after what I went through, the song meant even more. I realized how much materialistic items don’t matter.”
Lyrics include: “You can’t take it with you when you go.”
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E J Vickers Had Cancer and Didn’t Know
I first met Vickers at a house party hosted by Clearwater Records in June of 2023. I walked in, and two men with acoustic guitars sang ’90s country covers in a darkened living room. Sibling trios Chapel Hart and Essex County laughed loudly amidst a raucous conversation around the dinner table. For most of the singers, alcohol, flirting, and the quest for more potent drugs fueled the night. But Vickers – one of the men in the living room – never put down his guitar. He doesn’t remember I was there.
The cancer was in Vickers’ body then, but he didn’t know.
Vickers’ manager Tony Conway discovered him on TikTok, where he was known as ‘the human jukebox,’ in 2022. Vickers had multiple record deal offers within months but opted for Clearwater because Gomes won his trust. For a while, Vickers lived his Music City dreams. He opened for Randy Travis, and Alabama’s Teddy Gentry signed on as his producer. The men recorded Vickers’ first single, “I Love You,” which he released in May 2023 for Mother’s Day. A few weeks later, the singer played at CMA Fest and then went to the house party where I first saw him.
In August, Vickers found an unexplained lump and did a Google search. He had every symptom of testicular cancer.
“That’s why I freaked out,” Vickers said. “I went to the hospital the next day. They did an ultrasound, and the guy told me there was only one option, and that was to take it out.”
Vickers had surgery on August 31, and he was writing songs three days later. He penned 15 songs – no tearjerkers allowed – in two weeks.
When he could walk again, Vickers spent weeks with Gomes near Fort Myers, Florida, using the handyman knowledge he gained growing up on a farm to help Gomes repair his home. He played a series of shows as he regained his strength and moved to Nashville in May 2024.
“That’s Why I Freaked Out”
I ran into Vickers again in July when Alabama headlined Bridgestone Arena. He was driving a delivery truck for Amazon by then – a job that came with health insurance to cover his pricey cancer medicine. The next night, I watched him sing at a songwriter’s night. As soon as he opened his mouth, I knew the group of writers wouldn’t invite him to perform again. He was too good: his voice was unwavering, his songs radio-ready hits. The others couldn’t shine at their various stages of development because even though he didn’t know it, Vickers was already a star.
But he was a hungry star – he was hungry for music, hungry for opportunities, hungry for co-writes, hungry for studio time, hungry for guidance. And let’s face it, he was also a 23-year-old delivery driver. He was just plain hungry for food. A quick look at the cats and dogs sleeping around my office reveals I collect stray animals. I also, apparently, feed hungry musicians. After work one night, Vickers came over and joined my mother and children for a dinner of Croc-Pot ribs and homemade chocolate cake. He played with my 11-year-old son, and we talked about his life on the farm, his musical influences (Rhett, Gill, and Craig Morgan), and his hopes for the future. I sent him back to his apartment hours later with leftovers and a couple of bags of food from my pantry.
The next time he visited, my son taught him everything he knew about 3D printing, which is more than one might think. Vickers came back to the kitchen and played me songs he’d written. By then, he knew he would write and record with Leo, but he didn’t know when. Vickers was nervous he didn’t deserve Leo’s time, but a few weeks later, the men became fast friends and collaborators.
Please, Don’t Set Yourself on Fire
Vickers dropped back by my house to share the song he’d written with Leo and have another meal – steak, I think. I couldn’t get the grill to light, and as he was using his handyman skills to fix the problem, I could only think, “Please don’t set yourself on fire.” I could just imagine that call to management – and the headline. “Singer Survives Cancer To Incinerate Self on Writer’s Back Deck.” Thankfully, everything and everyone emerged unburned.
The encounter led to another idea. Vickers had lost his delivery job – and his insurance along with it. We discussed other ways he could make money as we overviewed potential marketing plans for songs he had yet to record. Vickers must pay Nashville rent—and now the recovering cancer patient needs costly private insurance. He no longer has access to his cancer medicine because he lost his delivery job. I suggested he market himself as “the singing handyman” between gigs. November was approaching, and over my kitchen table, I asked him if he could paint rooms, fix plumbing, install Ring cameras, or hang Christmas lights. He said he’d done it all before. He did some low-level inquiries on social media. Within a week of his return from Thanksgiving with his family, Vickers was in the recording studio at Starstruck Entertainment with Leo, Gomes, and a full band.
“I was anxious to get back and excited to work with new people,” Vickers said. “I was more afraid of my medical issues being an obstacle in the studio,” acknowledging his need for a stool.
E J Vickers Expects New Music in 2025
The men recorded three songs in three days – including “Party Time 101,” which Vickers and Leo crafted with Tim Nicols the first time they wrote together.
“It was the most welcoming, caring environment that I’ve gotten to work in since I’ve signed,” Vickers said. “I just love Josh and (engineer) Steve Marcantonio.”
At the end of December, Leo told Gomes he had nearly finished Vickers’ tracks. The singer, who was still cancer-free at his most recent check-up, expects to have new music out in 2025. He can’t wait to hear the songs.
Photo courtesy of E J Vickers
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