Offered is Elvis Presley's 1950's "Gantry" brand sport shirt he wore during his time in Army basic training. The shirt was left at the home of Eddie Fadal, a Waco, Texas DJ who befriended Elvis during his time there in 1958. Eddie and Elvis remained good friends for the rest of Elvis' life. Elvis' 1950's clothing is incredibly rare, and finding a piece with such strong provenance is relatively unheard of. A vest emanating from the Fadal estate sold recently for more than $40,000!
Eddie met Elvis when he performed at the Heart O’ Texas Colliseum in 1956. The Fadal family looked upon Elvis as one of their own and had a room in the house just for Elvis when he frequently visited in 1958. It was a great weekend escape for Elvis during his six-month military training while he was stationed at Fort Hood. Elvis spend quite a lot of time at the Fadal’s home with Eddie, his wife LaNelle, daughter, Janice and son, Dana. Eddie would do anything to make sure Elvis was comfortable and as a result, Elvis enjoyed spending time there. He would often play the piano while the kids were playing in their playpens and Eddie was making home movies.
The shirt is accompanied by a small card that Eddie had used when displaying the shirt that reads "ELVIS' SPORT SHIRT left at Fadal home by ELvis Presley in 1958 while sationed at Fort Hood, Texas" Additionally, a Letter of Provenance is included from Eddie's daughter, Janice Fadal, which reads "he above mentioned shirt, pictured here, was left behind by Elvis Presley at the Fadal home located 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." The shirt is also accompanied by copies of photos of Elvis enjoying time with Eddie in 1958.
The size "XL" sport shirt is styled with metal studs on each shoulder--dare we say these metal appointments are reminiscent of Elvis' 1970's jumpsuits! This is an incredibly rare opportunity to acquire one of the earliest and well-documented pieces of Elvis Presley's clothing. Remarkably for a 64-year-old garment, the shirt presents completely intact with no damage and just mild toning. Near Mint condition.