Ashley unsuccessfully auditioned for the lead in "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" (1957) but appeared in several of AIP's other movies. Ashley's second role for AIP, "Motorcycle Gang" (1957), was almost identical to "Dragstrip Girl" (it was again directed by Cahn). By this stage, Ashley had been drafted, and production was held up until he completed his basic training and could go on leave. Ashley only served six months in the army, in the Presidio in San Francisco. AIP got him an early release to appear in a war film, "Suicide Battalion" (1958), directed by Cahn. Outside AIP, he had a small role as a singer for Paramount's "Zero Hour!" (1957), had the lead in "Frankenstein's Daughter" (1958) and guest starred on "Jefferson Drum" (1958) in the episode "Arrival". In addition to acting, Ashley was also a singer. His manager, Jerry Capeheart, also managed Eddie Cochran and in July 1957 his first single was released on Intro Records - the standard "Bermuda" and the song "Let Yourself Go Go Go"; Ashley performed the latter in "Zero Hour!". The release of the single was timed to coincide with the release of "Dragstrip Girl". Ashley went on to make a number of records, including the singles "Seriously in Love" (1958), "Let the Good Times Roll" (1958), "Born to Rock" (1958), "The Hangman" (1959) and "Little Lou" (1961). Ashley would perform the occasional concert; one of his musicians for a time was Glen Campbell. Ashley later said Randy Wood, head of Dot Records, "was terrific... but the kind of music he wanted me to sing was the kind of material I really didn't feel I sang that well. He was a very clean cut image guy. He didn't necessarily want a hard rocker." In 2001, the German label Hydra Records released "Born to Rock", a compact disc collection of Ashley's music. Ashley was given a cameo as a singer in AIP's "How to Make a Monster" (1958) at the request of Nicholson. Ashley later said "that was casting more or less against type at that point because I had been playing delinquents and heavies." AIP wanted Ashley to make a film called "Hot Rod Gang" (1958) aka "Fury Unleashed", written by Rusoff and directed by Lew Landers.