“Heartbreak Hotel,” RCA’s first official Elvis Presley record lease, was shipped to retailers across the U.S; selling 300,000 copies in its first week. It is soon to go to number one on Billboard’s pop singles chart for eight weeks and hit number one on the country chart and number five on the R&B chart. It becomes the second single to sell over one million copies, and the first for Elvis.

Elvis Presley with Johnnie Ray, January 26, 1962. Backstage after Ray's Opening at the Dunes Hotel

Elvis and Johnnie Ray, backstage after Ray’s Opening at the Dunes Hotel.

Marty Lacker said Elvis had Joe make reservations to see Johnny Ray at the Hacienda Hotel,and when twelve guys who all looked alike arrived in black limousines and black mohair suits and sunglasses,people started to stare,and somebody yelled out, ‘Who the hell are they, the mafia?’

Elvis & Priscilla attending Nancy Sinatra's show at the International hotel in Las Vegas on August 29, 1969.

Vernon and Gladys Presley at the porch of their new home Graceland, probably 1957

Elvis at Atlanta Georgia July 3, 1973 wearing the Egyptian Pharaoh jumpsuit.

Elvis at the Burgpforte in Bad Nauheim, Germany, 1958

Elvis Presley at the opening of Johnny Ray's show at the Dunes Hotel on January 26, 1962.

Elvis's Bedroom Window

G.I. Blues RCA and Paramount Studios didn’t exactly wait around for Elvis to continue furthering his career while he was away in the Army. More than 40 songs were either released or re-released while he was on active duty. And, filming for his next movie, "G.I. Blues," took place on location in Germany with settings of downtown Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, on a river boat along the Rhine, and of the 3rd Armored Division Kaserne. More than 100 soldiers of the 3rd Division acted as extras for the movie. Elvis, however, would not actually be working on the film until he was released from active duty. The romantic musical comedy, starring both Elvis and Juliet Prowse, is the story of Tulsa McLean, an army specialist stationed in Germany who falls for a sweet cabaret dancer named Lili (Prowse). The film was released in 1960, its soundtrack nominated for two Grammy awards.

Presley's overseas service took place in Germany from October 1, 1958, until March 2, 1960, as a member of the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32d Armor. For the first five days of that period he belonged to Company D of the battalion, and thereafter to the battalion's Headquarters Company at Friedberg.