Norman Ezell: He's fighting cancer

Remember the 1967 hit "Western Union" by a group called The Five Americans?

If so, do you recall the background vocals in which two band members sing "Dot dot dot dot dot dot" ad infinitum throughout the song?

One of those voices belongs to Norman Ezell, who also wrote the lyrics to the hit song, which reached No. 6 on the Billboard charts and sold more than a million records.

A lot has happened to Ezell since 1967. He abandoned his life of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll after he found God in 1975.

Ezell has lived in Lodi since 2002. He is active at Zion Christian Fellowship on South Central Avenue and is promoting two books he self-published. One of them, "Road Runner," tells about his career with The Five Americans, including the Beatlemania craze of the mid-1960s and the Summer of Love in 1967.

Then it tells about Ezell picking up a Satan worshipper at a Ventura bar, and his becoming frightened at what she told him. He became a born-again Christian three days later.

The other book is called "Sure Cure — How God Healed Me from Terminal Cancer."

While Ezell is self-published, he says he hopes to get a publisher or nationwide book distributor to sell his books.

"I want 'Road Runner' to reach people who haven't found Christ," he said. "I've heard some Christians read it, and they said they couldn't put it down."

"Road Runner" features The Five Americans hooking up as a band that primarily played instrumental surfing music in Oklahoma.

"Then The Beatles came out, and we started singing Beatles songs," Ezell said.

Then 1967 came around, and they released their biggest hit, "Western Union," followed by "I See the Light." That caused the band's personality to change.

The Five Americans appeared on such television shows as "American Bandstand," "Where the Action Is" and "Shindig." They also performed in concerts with The Dave Clark Five, Sonny and Cher, The Everly Brothers, Glen Campbell, The Byrds and Herman's Hermits.

"We were insufferably arrogant," Ezell said.

After band members went their separate ways, Ezell moved to Ventura and picked up a woman in a bar in 1975. He writes in "Road Runner" that she told him she was a Satan worshipper. After he went to bed, he was attacked by spirits all night until they disappeared at sunrise, Ezell recalls.

"I decided to go to church the next morning," Ezell said. "I told God I was willing to change my ways from 15 years of partying."

That was on Jan. 21, 1975, — he remembers the exact date — when he became a born-again Christian.

"I quit cussing," Ezell said. "I used to cuss every other word. I haven't cussed in 34 years."

Ezell said he was raised a Christian, but he was taught to believe that God was mean and wanted to punish people.

"I had an abusive dad, so it makes you think God is the same way," he said. "It took years of studying the Bible to learn that God is not mean."

In August 2006, doctors found a malignant tumor in Ezell's stomach.

"When you're told you have terminal cancer, it's scary," he said. "They couldn't get all the cancer out. I spent two weeks at Lodi Memorial Hospital. They did a great job there."

Doctors said Ezell had three years to live with chemotherapy, or two years without. He decided against the chemo.

"I decided to just trust the Lord," he said.

He has been pain-free the past six months.

Ezell includes healing scriptures in his "Sure Cure" book.

Ezell writes and performs music more than ever, but now Christ dominates his lyrics.

"It's pretty liberating to raise your hands, praise the Lord and not worry about what anybody thinks," he said.

Although Ezell is active at Zion, he has his own ministry, Gloryland Ministries, and he sings in local churches. He is divorced and has a son, Josh, a disc jockey in Bangkok, Thailand.

See 'Western Union' on YouTube

Ezell is playing guitar and wearing a dark-blue shirt with white flower prints. A new Christian DVD can be found by searching Ezell's name on YouTube.

How to purchase Ezell's books

"Road Runner" and "Sure Cure," written by Lodi resident Norman Ezell, may be purchased at Vine & Branches Christian Bookstore, 110 W. Oak St., Lodi, or online at www.normane.com.

Ezell schedule of personal appearances

Feb. 21, 11 a.m.: Book signing at Vine & Branches Christian Bookstore, 110 W. Oak St., Lodi.

Feb. 27, 7 p.m.: Concert at Uprisin' Cafe, 1649 Victor Road, Lodi.

April 4, 7 to 9 p.m.: Concert outside movie theater complex on El Dorado Street in downtown Stockton.

Source: Norman Ezell

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

warvet wrote on Feb 8, 2009 10:11 AM:

" God has really blessed you in your life Norman, and he will continue to do so in these difficult times. I am going to buy your books, and read them with my son. I think you are a very courageous man, my prayers are with you. Thank you for sharing your story.
God Bless "

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