Elvis Presley's Army Career
Encyclopedia
Elvis Presley
served in the United States Army
between March 1958 and March 1960. At the time of his draft he was one of the most well known names in the world of entertainment.
Before entering the army Elvis had caused national outrage with his sexually-charged performances and rock and roll music. Many parents, religious leaders, and teachers groups saw his draft, removing him from public view, as a positive thing. Despite being offered the chance to enlist in Special Services to entertain the troops and live in priority housing, Elvis decided to serve as a regular soldier. This earned him the respect of many of his fellow soldiers and people back home who had previously viewed him in a negative light.
During his service Elvis's life was affected in several ways. First, his mother, Gladys, died of a heart attack brought on by acute hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. Elvis was deeply affected by her death and would never fully recover. Secondly, during his time in Germany, he would meet his future wife Priscilla Beaulieu
. Also, while in Germany, Elvis began to become dependent on uppers and downers. These drugs, and more importantly the drugs they would lead onto, would eventually contribute to Elvis's death at age 42.
After his release from the army Elvis found a new fan base amongst an older age group, thanks in part to his army career and releases of ballads over rock and roll songs.
Parker explained to Elvis that this was a great situation, one that neither of them could turn down. When Elvis was told that he would have to serve as a regular soldier he was furious; how could his manager, the man who had claimed to be able to do anything, not be able to find a way out of the draft? Parker promised Elvis that if he worked hard, kept his nose clean, and served as a regular GI for two years, he would return "a bigger star" than when he left.
On January 4, 1957, Elvis attended Kennedy Veterans Hospital in Memphis for a pre-induction army medical. On January 8, Elvis's twenty-second birthday, he was declared 1-A by the Memphis Draft Board; physically fit and likely to be drafted
some time in the next eight months. It was on December 16 that it was officially announced that Elvis would be receiving his draft notice. While fans around the country were upset about the news, parents and teachers groups were ecstatic. Elvis had been, in their opinion, a menace to society.
The navy offered to create a special Elvis Presley Company made up of men from Memphis and Elvis's closest friends. They also offered him the chance to perform in Las Vegas
, and have his own private quarters. The army offered Elvis the chance to tour the world and visit army bases to boost morale amongst soldiers and encourage other young men to enlist. Elvis politely told both parties that he would consider their offers. The Pentagon, too, had been in touch to offer Elvis the opportunity to join Special Services, entertaining the troops without having to actually train as a regular soldier; amongst many soldiers and veterans it is known as "the celebrity wimp-out". After discussing each possibility with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker
, Elvis decided to join up as a regular soldier. In Parker's words, "Taking any of these deals will make millions of Americans angry".
, Elvis had to personally write to the Memphis Draft Board to request a deferment. He explained to them that Paramount had already spent up to $350,000 on pre-production of the film, and that many jobs were dependent on him being able to complete filming, which was due to begin on January 13. They granted him an extension until the middle of March. When news of the extension broke, angry letters were sent to the Memphis Draft Board complaining about the "special treatment" that Elvis was receiving. According to Milton Bowers, head of the draft board and angered by the public outcry, Elvis "would have automatically gotten the extension [anyway] if he hadn't been Elvis Presley the superstar".
Worried that rock and roll music was a passing "fad", Elvis wanted to make King Creole the best role he had ever acted. He knew that two years out of the limelight would mean hard work when he returned, and so he gave his all in that film to show the world that he had the potential to return as a serious, dramatic actor. Author Alanna Nash described it as "the performance that would forever define his potential".
After a short break to record new material for RCA in June, Elvis returned to Fort Hood to finish his tank training. He was now living off base, in his own house, with his mother, father, Grandma, and friend Lamar Fike; soldiers who had dependents living off base were allowed to live with them. Having his family close by cheered him up immensely, although he still spoke to friends about his fears for his career. Parker, who was often a visitor to Elvis's home, would attempt to reassure his client. Parker had arranged for enough material and merchandise to be available to keep Elvis's name in the public arena during his two years in the service. Although Elvis nodded along in agreement with his manager, deep down he was not convinced that he could return to what he had known previously.
On August 14, Gladys died from cirrhosis of the liver. The official cause of death was listed as heart attack, but the Presley's refused an autopsy to verify it. Elvis and his father were both devastated by her death. Her funeral was held on August 15, and Elvis collapsed several times before, during, and after the service. His mother had always been the most important person in his life, and now he felt as though everything he had worked for had been for nothing. Elvis's leave was extended by five days on August 18, and when he finally left to return to Fort Hood he left instructions that nothing in his mothers room was to be altered.
, Germany. He left Fort Hood on September 19, headed for Brooklyn Army Terminal in New York where he and his division would ship out to Germany on September 22. After a short press conference arranged by Parker, which also involved Elvis walking up and down the plank of the USS Randall eight times for cameras, the ship set sail and Elvis would spend the remainder of his service overseas.
During the crossing Elvis bunked with a fellow soldier named Charlie Hodge
. Hodge, who had enjoyed some success as an entertainer himself before being drafted, encouraged Elvis to help him put together a show for the troops. Elvis accepted his request, but only agreed to play piano in the background; Parker had drilled into him that there would be no public performances of any kind during his service. Hodge would become such a close friend to Elvis during their time in the army that he was invited to work for him when they were both discharged.
On October 1 the USS Randall arrived in Germany and Elvis was once again offered the chance to join Special Services. Again he politely refused, and was instead given the task of driving the commanding officer of Company D, Captain Russell. Russell, however, didn't take to the attention surrounding Elvis, and he was transferred to driving duties for Reconnaissance Platoon Sergeant Ira Jones of Company C.
Shortly after arriving in Germany, Elvis was allowed to live off base. He and his family moved into Hilberts Park Hotel in Bad Nauheim, but within three weeks they had moved to the more elegant Hotel Grunewald. Parker wrote on a nearly daily basis to Elvis about how things were going back home. He had acquired deals with RCA and 20th Century-Fox to ensure Elvis's return to public life would go as smoothly as possible. RCA agreed to release an album of Elvis's press conference the day he left for Germany; titled Elvis Sails, the album would pay Elvis $0.22 per sale in royalties, guaranteed up to at least 100,000 copies. 20th Century-Fox had agreed upon a $200,000 fee for one Elvis film, with options on a second for $250,000 and a 50/50 split on profits. Paramount, too, had signed deals to produce a number of new Elvis films after his release; what would eventually become G.I. Blues
was agreed upon for $175,000 and a three-picture option was also included. Parker also reassured his client about the press coverage he was receiving while overseas. News outlets were reporting regularly on stories, mostly released by Parker himself, about plans for Elvis's return to entertainment. Stories of wild parties in Elvis's hotel room were also making it into the papers regularly, and Parker was forced to hold a press conference to dispel these rumors. For Elvis, however, being away in Germany was not all happy times. He would often write home to friends and family about how homesick he was, how desperately he missed his mother, and of how his fears about his career still clouded his mind.
Introduced to amphetamines by a sergeant
while on maneuvers, he became "practically evangelical about their benefits"—not only for energy, but for "strength" and weight loss, as well—and many of his friends in the outfit joined him in indulging. The Army also introduced Elvis to karate
, which he studied seriously, later including it in his live performances. Fellow soldiers have attested to Elvis's wish to be seen as an able, ordinary soldier, despite his fame, and to his generosity while in the service. He donated his Army pay to charity, purchased TV sets for the base, and bought an extra set of fatigues for everyone in his outfit.
Although Elvis's manager had forbidden him from performing while in the army, pressure from RCA for him to record new material led to Parker sending a microphone and a tape recorder to Germany. Elvis had recorded a handful of songs before he left for Germany to cover his time away, but RCA was worried that they would run out of material before March 1960. In a letter to his client, Parker explained that recordings of Elvis with just a piano for accompaniment, singing gospel songs would be good enough; his fans would just want to hear him sing anything. Elvis used the recorder to mess around with friends and family, singing mainly gospel and current hits, but none of these recordings were sent back for release by RCA. Decades later these recordings would be released officially on titles such as Private Presley and Home Recordings. In June, with 15 days leave to enjoy, Elvis and his friends traveled to Munich and Paris. Two days in Munich were followed by over a week of partying in Paris where, on several occasions, Elvis would invite the whole chorus line of girls from The 4'o Clock club back to his hotel.
during a party at Elvis's home. Witnesses recall that Elvis took an instant liking to Priscilla, and the pair were practically inseparable during the remainder of his time in Germany. They would eventually marry after a seven-and-a-half-year courtship. In her autobiography, Priscilla says that despite his worries that it would ruin his career, Parker convinced Elvis that to gain popular respect, he should serve his country as a regular soldier rather than in Special Services, where he would have been able to give some musical performances and remain in touch with the public.
Media reports echoed Elvis's concerns about his career, but RCA producer Steve Sholes
and Freddy Bienstock
of Hill and Range had carefully prepared for his two-year hiatus. Armed with a substantial amount of unreleased material, they kept up a regular stream of successful releases. Between his induction and discharge, Elvis had ten top 40 hits, including "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck
", the best-selling "Hard Headed Woman
", and "One Night
" in 1958, and "(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I
" and the number one "A Big Hunk o' Love
" in 1959. RCA also managed to generate four albums compiling old material during this period, most successfully Elvis' Golden Records
(1958), which hit number three on the LP chart.
On March 2, with Priscilla in attendance, Elvis waved goodbye to the fans and media of Germany and flew home to the USA. En route his plane stopped at Prestwick Airport in Scotland to refuel; this was the one and only time that Elvis would set foot in the UK. On March 3 Elvis's plane arrived at McGuire Air Force Base near Fort Dix, New Jersey at 7.42am. Nancy Sinatra
, RCA representatives, and Parker were all there to welcome him home, as well as a huge crowd of fans. Two days later, on March 5, Elvis was officially discharged from active duty.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
between March 1958 and March 1960. At the time of his draft he was one of the most well known names in the world of entertainment.
Before entering the army Elvis had caused national outrage with his sexually-charged performances and rock and roll music. Many parents, religious leaders, and teachers groups saw his draft, removing him from public view, as a positive thing. Despite being offered the chance to enlist in Special Services to entertain the troops and live in priority housing, Elvis decided to serve as a regular soldier. This earned him the respect of many of his fellow soldiers and people back home who had previously viewed him in a negative light.
During his service Elvis's life was affected in several ways. First, his mother, Gladys, died of a heart attack brought on by acute hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. Elvis was deeply affected by her death and would never fully recover. Secondly, during his time in Germany, he would meet his future wife Priscilla Beaulieu
Priscilla Presley
Priscilla Presley is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the ex-wife of singer Elvis Presley, and the mother of singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley....
. Also, while in Germany, Elvis began to become dependent on uppers and downers. These drugs, and more importantly the drugs they would lead onto, would eventually contribute to Elvis's death at age 42.
After his release from the army Elvis found a new fan base amongst an older age group, thanks in part to his army career and releases of ballads over rock and roll songs.
Draft
In 1956, Elvis turned twenty-one years old. Like most men of that age, he was now eligible to be drafted. Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis's manager, was well aware of his clients draft status and how it could affect his career. Despite reassuring the star that they could work a way around it, Parker instantly started to take control of the situation. In the summer of 1956 he wrote to the Pentagon requesting that Elvis be considered for Special Services. Special Services would allow Elvis to do only six weeks basic training and then resume life as normal with the exception of performing several times a year for the armed forces. However, Parker had no intentions of allowing his client to ever sign up for Special Services. Special Services would require Elvis to perform for free, with each performance being recorded and filmed for sale to television stations throughout the world. Only the armed forces would profit from these recordings, and Parker was in no way willing to allow anyone, even "Uncle Sam", enjoy Elvis's talents for free. Over the course of the next twelve months Parker led Elvis to believe that it was still possible to avoid the draft completely. Unbeknown to Elvis, however, Parker had no intentions of avoiding the draft. In his eyes, after a year of some negative publicity regarding Elvis, this was the perfect opportunity to change the view that older America had of Elvis Presley.Parker explained to Elvis that this was a great situation, one that neither of them could turn down. When Elvis was told that he would have to serve as a regular soldier he was furious; how could his manager, the man who had claimed to be able to do anything, not be able to find a way out of the draft? Parker promised Elvis that if he worked hard, kept his nose clean, and served as a regular GI for two years, he would return "a bigger star" than when he left.
On January 4, 1957, Elvis attended Kennedy Veterans Hospital in Memphis for a pre-induction army medical. On January 8, Elvis's twenty-second birthday, he was declared 1-A by the Memphis Draft Board; physically fit and likely to be drafted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
some time in the next eight months. It was on December 16 that it was officially announced that Elvis would be receiving his draft notice. While fans around the country were upset about the news, parents and teachers groups were ecstatic. Elvis had been, in their opinion, a menace to society.
The navy offered to create a special Elvis Presley Company made up of men from Memphis and Elvis's closest friends. They also offered him the chance to perform in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, and have his own private quarters. The army offered Elvis the chance to tour the world and visit army bases to boost morale amongst soldiers and encourage other young men to enlist. Elvis politely told both parties that he would consider their offers. The Pentagon, too, had been in touch to offer Elvis the opportunity to join Special Services, entertaining the troops without having to actually train as a regular soldier; amongst many soldiers and veterans it is known as "the celebrity wimp-out". After discussing each possibility with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker
Colonel Tom Parker
"Colonel" Thomas Andrew "Tom" Parker born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, was a Dutch-born entertainment impresario known best as the manager of Elvis Presley...
, Elvis decided to join up as a regular soldier. In Parker's words, "Taking any of these deals will make millions of Americans angry".
King Creole extension
Elvis was originally scheduled to be inducted on January 20, 1958. However, due to commitments at Paramount and the filming schedule of his latest film, King CreoleKing Creole
King Creole is a 1958 American film directed by Michael Curtiz and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The story was adapted from the Harold Robbins novel A Stone for Danny Fisher and featured Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, and Walter Matthau. The film tells the story of a nineteen-year-old who gets mixed...
, Elvis had to personally write to the Memphis Draft Board to request a deferment. He explained to them that Paramount had already spent up to $350,000 on pre-production of the film, and that many jobs were dependent on him being able to complete filming, which was due to begin on January 13. They granted him an extension until the middle of March. When news of the extension broke, angry letters were sent to the Memphis Draft Board complaining about the "special treatment" that Elvis was receiving. According to Milton Bowers, head of the draft board and angered by the public outcry, Elvis "would have automatically gotten the extension [anyway] if he hadn't been Elvis Presley the superstar".
Worried that rock and roll music was a passing "fad", Elvis wanted to make King Creole the best role he had ever acted. He knew that two years out of the limelight would mean hard work when he returned, and so he gave his all in that film to show the world that he had the potential to return as a serious, dramatic actor. Author Alanna Nash described it as "the performance that would forever define his potential".
Induction
Elvis reported for his induction on March 24, 1958, a day dubbed "black Monday" for his fans by the press. Elvis was given a physical and assigned army serial number 53 310 761 before being sworn in and made leader of his group. Parker, with the permission of the army, had arranged for news crews from around the world to be on hand to report Elvis's entry into the army. After his final goodbyes to family and friends, Elvis and his fellow recruits were taken by bus to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas.Fort Hood
Elvis spent four days at Fort Chaffee before being transferred to Fort Hood in Texas. After being assigned to the A Company of the Second Armored Division's Tank Battalion, Elvis completed basic training by June. He had become a pistol sharpshooter, and expressed his enjoyment at the "rough and tumble" of the tanks obstacle course. To friends back home, however, he was less upbeat. In letters to friend Alan Fortas, Elvis described his homesickness and insisted that he hated the training. Eddie Fadal, another of Elvis's friends, remembers that Elvis would worry about his career, fearing it was all over. One of Elvis's instructors, Bill Norwood, who let Elvis use his phone to call home on many occasions, recalls Elvis breaking down in tears during many of these phone calls.After a short break to record new material for RCA in June, Elvis returned to Fort Hood to finish his tank training. He was now living off base, in his own house, with his mother, father, Grandma, and friend Lamar Fike; soldiers who had dependents living off base were allowed to live with them. Having his family close by cheered him up immensely, although he still spoke to friends about his fears for his career. Parker, who was often a visitor to Elvis's home, would attempt to reassure his client. Parker had arranged for enough material and merchandise to be available to keep Elvis's name in the public arena during his two years in the service. Although Elvis nodded along in agreement with his manager, deep down he was not convinced that he could return to what he had known previously.
Mother's death
In early August, while in Texas with her son, Gladys took ill. She had recently increased her alcohol intake to cope with her sons fame and army commitments, and she had also began using diet pills to attempt to lose weight. This, coupled with a bad diet, had led to her liver becoming damaged beyond repair. One afternoon, after a heated argument with her husband Vernon, Gladys collapsed from exhaustion. Elvis arranged for her and Vernon to return to Memphis on August 8. The next day Gladys' condition worsened so much that she was rushed to hospital. On August 11, after calls from her doctor, Elvis requested emergency leave to visit with his mother. After initially being turned down and threatening to go AWOL, Elvis was eventually given permission to leave on August 12. The officer who initially denied Elvis his emergency leave was later disciplined for his actions.On August 14, Gladys died from cirrhosis of the liver. The official cause of death was listed as heart attack, but the Presley's refused an autopsy to verify it. Elvis and his father were both devastated by her death. Her funeral was held on August 15, and Elvis collapsed several times before, during, and after the service. His mother had always been the most important person in his life, and now he felt as though everything he had worked for had been for nothing. Elvis's leave was extended by five days on August 18, and when he finally left to return to Fort Hood he left instructions that nothing in his mothers room was to be altered.
1958
After training at Fort Hood, Elvis was assigned to the 3rd Armored Division in FriedbergFriedberg, Hesse
Friedberg is a town and the capital of the Wetteraukreis district, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 26 kilometers north of Frankfurt am Main.-Division of the town:The town consists of 7 districts:* Bruchenbrücken...
, Germany. He left Fort Hood on September 19, headed for Brooklyn Army Terminal in New York where he and his division would ship out to Germany on September 22. After a short press conference arranged by Parker, which also involved Elvis walking up and down the plank of the USS Randall eight times for cameras, the ship set sail and Elvis would spend the remainder of his service overseas.
During the crossing Elvis bunked with a fellow soldier named Charlie Hodge
Charlie Hodge (guitarist)
Charles Franklin Hodge , better known as Charlie Hodge, was an American singer, vocal coach and musician who was a confidant and associate of Elvis Presley.- Early music career :...
. Hodge, who had enjoyed some success as an entertainer himself before being drafted, encouraged Elvis to help him put together a show for the troops. Elvis accepted his request, but only agreed to play piano in the background; Parker had drilled into him that there would be no public performances of any kind during his service. Hodge would become such a close friend to Elvis during their time in the army that he was invited to work for him when they were both discharged.
On October 1 the USS Randall arrived in Germany and Elvis was once again offered the chance to join Special Services. Again he politely refused, and was instead given the task of driving the commanding officer of Company D, Captain Russell. Russell, however, didn't take to the attention surrounding Elvis, and he was transferred to driving duties for Reconnaissance Platoon Sergeant Ira Jones of Company C.
Shortly after arriving in Germany, Elvis was allowed to live off base. He and his family moved into Hilberts Park Hotel in Bad Nauheim, but within three weeks they had moved to the more elegant Hotel Grunewald. Parker wrote on a nearly daily basis to Elvis about how things were going back home. He had acquired deals with RCA and 20th Century-Fox to ensure Elvis's return to public life would go as smoothly as possible. RCA agreed to release an album of Elvis's press conference the day he left for Germany; titled Elvis Sails, the album would pay Elvis $0.22 per sale in royalties, guaranteed up to at least 100,000 copies. 20th Century-Fox had agreed upon a $200,000 fee for one Elvis film, with options on a second for $250,000 and a 50/50 split on profits. Paramount, too, had signed deals to produce a number of new Elvis films after his release; what would eventually become G.I. Blues
G.I. Blues
G.I. Blues is a 1960 Elvis Presley musical motion picture played as a romantic comedy. It was filmed at Paramount's Hollywood studios, with some pre-production scenery shot on location in Germany before Presley's release from the army. The movie reached #2 on the Variety weekly national box office...
was agreed upon for $175,000 and a three-picture option was also included. Parker also reassured his client about the press coverage he was receiving while overseas. News outlets were reporting regularly on stories, mostly released by Parker himself, about plans for Elvis's return to entertainment. Stories of wild parties in Elvis's hotel room were also making it into the papers regularly, and Parker was forced to hold a press conference to dispel these rumors. For Elvis, however, being away in Germany was not all happy times. He would often write home to friends and family about how homesick he was, how desperately he missed his mother, and of how his fears about his career still clouded his mind.
Introduced to amphetamines by a sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
while on maneuvers, he became "practically evangelical about their benefits"—not only for energy, but for "strength" and weight loss, as well—and many of his friends in the outfit joined him in indulging. The Army also introduced Elvis to karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, which he studied seriously, later including it in his live performances. Fellow soldiers have attested to Elvis's wish to be seen as an able, ordinary soldier, despite his fame, and to his generosity while in the service. He donated his Army pay to charity, purchased TV sets for the base, and bought an extra set of fatigues for everyone in his outfit.
1959
In early 1959, after complaints from other guests about the behavior of Elvis and his friends, the group left the Grunewald Hotel and moved to a five bedroom house nearby. Fans would congregate outside the house to see Elvis as he came and went to maneuvers, and a sign was put up stating that autographs would be given between 7.30 and 8.00pm.Although Elvis's manager had forbidden him from performing while in the army, pressure from RCA for him to record new material led to Parker sending a microphone and a tape recorder to Germany. Elvis had recorded a handful of songs before he left for Germany to cover his time away, but RCA was worried that they would run out of material before March 1960. In a letter to his client, Parker explained that recordings of Elvis with just a piano for accompaniment, singing gospel songs would be good enough; his fans would just want to hear him sing anything. Elvis used the recorder to mess around with friends and family, singing mainly gospel and current hits, but none of these recordings were sent back for release by RCA. Decades later these recordings would be released officially on titles such as Private Presley and Home Recordings. In June, with 15 days leave to enjoy, Elvis and his friends traveled to Munich and Paris. Two days in Munich were followed by over a week of partying in Paris where, on several occasions, Elvis would invite the whole chorus line of girls from The 4'o Clock club back to his hotel.
Dee Stanley
Around this time Elvis's father, Vernon, had been getting close to a woman named Dee Stanley, the wife of army sergeant Bill Stanley. Originally Dee had written to Elvis inviting him to dinner. She had seen him live during one of his earliest performances in the fifties, and she was keen to meet a star of his stature. Elvis, not interested in dinner with someone he knew was considerably older than he, sent his father in his place. Most biographers state that Dee was already in the process of divorcing her husband when she met Vernon, but some others claim that Vernon had gotten to know both of them together, and was even asked by Bill to help him save his marriage. When Elvis heard of the relationship between his father and Dee he flew into a rage; in his mind his father had no business to be setting up with another woman so close after the death of Gladys. Dee returned to the USA in the summer of 1959, closely followed by Vernon, and the pair returned to Germany together. Close friends of Elvis have stated that Bill received a "handsome payoff" for his signature on the divorce papers. Dee and Vernon would eventually marry in 1960, with her children becoming stepbrothers to Elvis. Although Elvis never liked Dee, he became very close to her young children and welcomed them to his home as the brothers he never had; in later years they would be employed as bodyguards and drivers.Priscilla
On September 13, airman Currie Grant, who had met Elvis a couple of months earlier, introduced him to 14-year-old Priscilla BeaulieuPriscilla Presley
Priscilla Presley is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the ex-wife of singer Elvis Presley, and the mother of singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley....
during a party at Elvis's home. Witnesses recall that Elvis took an instant liking to Priscilla, and the pair were practically inseparable during the remainder of his time in Germany. They would eventually marry after a seven-and-a-half-year courtship. In her autobiography, Priscilla says that despite his worries that it would ruin his career, Parker convinced Elvis that to gain popular respect, he should serve his country as a regular soldier rather than in Special Services, where he would have been able to give some musical performances and remain in touch with the public.
Media reports echoed Elvis's concerns about his career, but RCA producer Steve Sholes
Stephen H. Sholes
Stephen H. Sholes was a prominent recording executive with RCA Victor.-Career:He was born Stephen Henry Sholes, in Washington, D.C.. His family moved to Camden, New Jersey, where his father worked in the RCA Victor plant. Sholes started work at RCA Victor as a messenger boy in 1929...
and Freddy Bienstock
Freddy Bienstock
Freddy Bienstock was an American music publisher who built his career in music by being the person responsible for soliciting and selecting songs for Elvis Presley's early albums and films.-Early life:...
of Hill and Range had carefully prepared for his two-year hiatus. Armed with a substantial amount of unreleased material, they kept up a regular stream of successful releases. Between his induction and discharge, Elvis had ten top 40 hits, including "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck
Wear My Ring Around Your Neck
"Wear My Ring Around Your Neck" is a song performed by Elvis Presley, which was released in 1958. It was particularly notable for breaking a string of ten consecutive number 1 hits for Presley achieved in just two years...
", the best-selling "Hard Headed Woman
Hard Headed Woman
"Hard Headed Woman" is a #1 rock and roll song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Gladys Music, Elvis Presley's publishing company in 1958. It is an American 12-bar blues written by African American songwriter Claude Demetrius...
", and "One Night
One Night (song)
"One Night" is a song popularized by Elvis Presley. It was issued as a double A-side with "I Got Stung". The single reached number one twice on the UK Singles Chart. In the U.S., "One Night", reached number four on the pop singles chart and number ten on the R&B chart...
" in 1958, and "(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I
(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I
" A Fool Such as I" is a popular song written by Bill Trader and was published in 1952. Performed by Hank Snow it peaked at number four on the country charts early in 1953....
" and the number one "A Big Hunk o' Love
A Big Hunk o' Love
"A Big Hunk o' Love" is a song co-written by Aaron Schroeder and originally recorded by American rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. The song was released as a single on June 23, 1959 by RCA Victor and later topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks....
" in 1959. RCA also managed to generate four albums compiling old material during this period, most successfully Elvis' Golden Records
Elvis' Golden Records
Elvis' Golden Records is the fifth album by Elvis Presley issued on RCA Victor Records, LPM 1707, in March 1958, recorded mostly at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, with one session at RCA Studios in New York on January 30, one at 20th Century Fox Stage One in Hollywood on August 24, and three at in...
(1958), which hit number three on the LP chart.
Discharge
On February 11, 1960 Elvis received his full Sergeant stripes. The army held a press conference on March 1 before Elvis departed from Germany. Elvis was asked about his decision to serve as a regular soldier instead of as part of the service club. He said, "I was in a funny position. Actually, that's the only way it could be. People were expecting me to mess up, to goof up in one way or another. They thought I couldn't take it and so forth, and I was determined to go to any limits to prove otherwise, not only to the people who were wondering, but to myself".On March 2, with Priscilla in attendance, Elvis waved goodbye to the fans and media of Germany and flew home to the USA. En route his plane stopped at Prestwick Airport in Scotland to refuel; this was the one and only time that Elvis would set foot in the UK. On March 3 Elvis's plane arrived at McGuire Air Force Base near Fort Dix, New Jersey at 7.42am. Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
, RCA representatives, and Parker were all there to welcome him home, as well as a huge crowd of fans. Two days later, on March 5, Elvis was officially discharged from active duty.