Vintage two-tone V-neck short-sleeved shirt personally-owned and -worn by Elvis Presley, who left this shirt at the home of friend and Dallas disc jockey Eddie Fadal when the former went to Army basic training in 1958. The shirt, size XL, 50% polyester 50% cotton, features a cream-colored body and sleeves, with blue shoulder sections that contain metal shooting star designs. In fine condition.
Accompanied by three photos of Presley with Fadal, as well as a signed letter of provenance from Fadal’s daughter, Janice, who writes: “The [Presley] shirt…was left behind by Elvis Presley at the Fadal home at 2807 Lasker Avenue, Waco, Texas, in 1958. At that time, Elvis was in basic training at nearby Ft. Hood, Texas. Elvis became good friends with my father, Eddie Fadal, during his time at Ft. Hood, and he spent quite a bit of time visiting at our home in 1958.”
Fadal, a Dallas-based DJ from Waco, met Presley, the new ‘King of Rock and Roll,’ when the latter performed at the Heart O' Texas Fair in 1956. According to Janice: ‘When Eddie met Elvis, he was really impressed by him and said, ‘Look, I live in Waco, which is about 100 miles from here. If you’re ever in Waco, I’d love to have you at the house.’ To Fadal’s surprise, Elvis took him up on the offer, which prompted Fadal to build an extension on his home for Private Presley when he was on leave. The room was painted pink and black, Presley’s favorite colors, and was always stashed with his favorite cigars and records. Elvis made his visits as low-key as possible; catching up on sleep, listening to records, and enjoying Southern home-cooking with his then-girlfriend Anita Wood. And because of his incredible celebrity, Elvis would always make sure to enter the house through the backdoor. ‘When people in the neighborhood would see black limousines parked outside the house, that was kind of a clue that someone pretty special was visiting. Our phone would really ring off the wall and people would come and gather in the front yard, the back yard. It was a frenzy.’
