January 19th in Elvis History

It's January nineteenth, and on this day in 1959… Elvis Presley, stationed in Germany during his Army service, wrote a heartfelt letter to Colonel Tom Parker requesting that RCA release a recorded message to his fans. In the letter, Elvis said, *“I want to be able to thank them not only for buying my records and for their loyalty to me but also for the help they have given me in deciding the kind of songs to sing.”* He added that even while away from the stage, *“I just wanted to let my fans know how I feel.”* The message was a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of Elvis’s deep appreciation for the people who lifted him to fame—and a promise that he’d be back, still listening to his audience.