ON THIS DAY IN 1957, ELVIS PRESLEY WAS SERVED HIS DRAFT NOTICE BY THE US ARMY

Presley had already reached superstar status with six number one hits and was enjoying his Christmas holidays in his newly-purchased Memphis mansion, Graceland, when the draft notice arrived.

At the time, all young American males were required to serve in the military for two years of active duty as well as four years as a reserve. The Army had reportedly passed the singer as fit for service earlier that year in January, though some say he chose to forego the possibility of a “special Service”, which was basic training followed by two years entertaining fellow troops. Others say his manager Colonel Tom Parker forced him into regular duty in order to improve his image with older American audiences, a ploy that worked if true.

Some conspirators say that the US government drafted Presley as a way of keeping his from young American audiences, as his performances were still considered controversial and inappropriate for the youth that were his main consumers. While there is no proof of this, it is said that the army received tens of thousands of fan letters asking for their idol to be spared from duty, to no avail.