Presley had registered for the draft when he turned 18. His notice arrived in December 1957, just as his fame peaked, and he received a deferment until March so that he could finish filming King Creole. He turned down offers of a soft posting in the entertainment corps and went in as an ordinary draftee. He was inducted on March 24, 1958, and processed at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, surrounded by family, friends and reporters. The man who began the day as the King of Rock and Roll ended it as a buck private.
In early 1958 Elvis Presley was the most famous entertainer in America, with hit records, films and a fan base that frightened parents and delighted his record company. He was also a 23-year-old man with a draft card. He had registered at 18, as the law required. His call-up came at the end of 1957, and Paramount won him a short delay so that King Creole would not lose its star in the middle of filming.
When he reported on March 24, 1958, the Army got what amounted to a press event. Photographers, family and fans followed him through induction and on to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, for processing. Like every other recruit he got a physical and a serial number: 53310761.
It was a gamble that his career might not survive two years out of the spotlight. Presley went on to serve in West Germany, where he met the young Priscilla Beaulieu, his future wife. When he came home in 1960 he picked up where he had left off. Instead of ending his career, his time in uniform gave him a respectable, patriotic image that his early hip-swivelling had never earned him.
Key people: Elvis Presley