On December 20, 1957, while spending the Christmas holidays at Graceland, his newly purchased Tennessee mansion, rock-and-roll star receives his draft notice for the United States Army.
With a suggestive style鈥攐ne writer called him 鈥淓lvis the Pelvis鈥濃攁 hit movie, Love Me Tender, and a string of gold records including 鈥淗eartbreak Hotel,鈥 鈥淏lue Suede Shoes,鈥 鈥淗ound Dog鈥 and 鈥淒on鈥檛 Be Cruel,鈥 Presley had become a national icon, and the world鈥檚 first bona fide rock-and-roll star, by the end of 1956. As the Beatles鈥 once famously remarked: 鈥淏efore Elvis, there was nothing.鈥 The following year, at the peak of his career, Presley received his draft notice for a two-year stint in the army. Fans sent tens of thousands of letters to the army asking for him to be spared, but Elvis would have none of it. He received one deferment鈥揹uring which he finished working on his movie King Creole鈥揵efore being sworn in as an army private in Memphis on March 24, 1958.
After basic training鈥攚hich included an emergency leave to see his beloved mother, Gladys, before she died in August 1958鈥擯resley sailed to Europe on the USS General Randall. For the next 18 months, he served in Company D, 32nd Tank Battalion, 3rd Armor Division in Friedberg, Germany, where he attained the rank of sergeant. For the rest of his service, he shared an off-base residence with his father, grandmother and some Memphis friends. After working during the day, Presley returned home at night to host frequent parties and impromptu jam sessions. At one of these, an army buddy of Presley鈥檚 introduced him to 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, whom Elvis would marry some years later.
Meanwhile, Presley鈥檚 manager, Colonel Tom Parker, continued to release singles recorded before his departure, keeping the money rolling in and his most famous client fresh in the public鈥檚 mind.
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