A small spa town near Frankfurt, Bad Nauheim, famous for its thermal salt springs, was home to US GI 533761 for much of his army service from 1958-60. Instead of visiting Graceland this August, the anniversary of Elvis's death, hundreds of British fans will travel with the Official Elvis Presley Fan Club to Germany and see where Private Presley worked, slept and played.
A Pivotal Period
Whilst in Germany, stationed at Ray Barracks, Friedberg, Elvis lived off-base in Bad Nauheim with two dependents, his father Vernon and Grandmother Minnie May (his mother had recently passed away) and a couple of his entourage. This period was pivotal to Elvis's life:
- He met Priscilla, the daughter of an airforce captain stationed in Wiesbaden, near Bad Nauheim
- He began his life-long love-affair with karate under the tutelage of Jurgen Seydel
- He met two of his most trusted confidants, with him for the rest of his life: Charlie Hodge and Joe Esposito
- He learnt and rehearsed '0 Sole Mio', which became one of his biggest hits: It's Now or Never
14 Goethstrasse
Elvis moved into 14 Goethstrasse, a modest three-story home in Bad Nauheim, on 3rd February 1959. He had previously stayed four months in the Hotel Grunewald (see below), a short walk away. Elvis spent numerous hours outside his rented house (3000 Deutchmarks per month) signing autographs for German fans and invited some into his home for parties and sing-songs.
