Following the success of Presley's Las Vegas return, Parker signed a contract with the International Hotel to guarantee Presley would play a month-long engagement for $125,000 a week ($974,043 in 2021 dollars[11]), an unheard-of sum at the time. Also to die at a similar age of either heart or lung problems were Elvis' mother Gladys and three of her brothers. [32], In 1957, Parker finally managed to give Tommy Sands his big break by arranging for him to audition for and star in The Singin' Idol, a drama for NBC that was loosely based on the life and career of Presley. However, Parker claimed that his issue with overseas performances was over security issues, as well as poor venues not suitable for the star's stature. [26] Presley said of Parker: "I don't think I would have ever been very big if it wasn't for him. The reasons for this are a source of controversy, as it was believed that Parker's status as an illegal immigrant (the theme of the Netflix series Stateless) would prohibit him from traveling as he didn't have a passport, nor could he get one due to his status. However, when Presley signed a recording contract with Phillips, Moore and Black were excluded. He died in 1997 at the age of 87. [37] Parker signed long-term contracts with the film studios,[39] possibly to guarantee work and income for both him and Presley. He had a matter-of-fact method of speaking and didn't suffer fools lightly. [41] The Cadillac tour proved to be somewhat more successful than the film itself. The premises had been ransacked in search of money. At the time of his death, Parker was suffering with diabetes, gout, and various other health problems. And Priscilla Presley confirmed those rumors while chatting with Good Morning America. You tell everybody the Colonel touched your head." Parker was looking ahead when he persuaded Presley to sign up as a Soldier. [59] Experts in the field at the time estimated that it had potentially cost Presley millions of dollars[59] and worse for Parker, it had also potentially cost him those millions of dollars. On March 26, 1956, after Presley's management contract with Neal expired, Presley signed a contract with Parker that made him his exclusive representative. They struggled to survive during the Great Depression, working short cons and traveling across the country in search of work. Nash portrays the Colonel as a psychopathic murderer born June 26, 1909 in Breda, Holland, whose real name is Andreas "Andre" Cornelis van Kuijk. Parker is also a controversial figure, known to have defrauded the King of Rock and Roll on several occasions for as much as $8 million. The actor wore a fat suit and heavy make-up to appear more like Parker, but the real performance came in the mannerisms, accent, and presence of Hanks embodying Elvis' manager. In November, Parker and Snow persuaded RCA to buy Presley out from Sun for $40,000, and on November 21, Presley's contract was officially transferred from Sun Records to RCA Victor. As a reward, Davis gave him the honorary rank of "colonel" in the Louisiana State Militia.[2][3]. [41], To make up for lack of earnings, Parker arranged for Presley's gold Cadillac to go on tour. It was in 1948 that Parker pulled off one of his most inspired "snow-jobs" when he persuaded Jimmie Davis, former country-singer turned Governor of Louisiana, to grant him the honorary title of "Colonel". [72] Priscilla Presley attended the funeral to represent the Elvis Presley Estate and gave a eulogy that, to many in the room, summed up Parker: "Elvis and the Colonel made history together, and the world is richer, better and far more interesting because of their collaboration. [8] This may have motivated Parker to avoid seeking a passport, as the Netherlands has an active extradition treaty with the United States, and he may have wanted to avoid criminal arrest by Dutch authorities. Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Tom Parker Is Dead at 87; Controlled Presley's Career", "Colonel Parker Managed Elvis' Career, but Was He a Killer on the Lam? Elvis and the Colonel were associated throughout the musician's entire career, including music, movies, and TV specials. Reportedly, Hanks was approached by movie director Baz Luhrmann, and after a short conversation, the actor was hooked. But this guy is like eighty years old too old to be taught the limits of racism He probably doesn't realize how horrible a thing that was to do. [44], During a closing night performance on September 3, 1973, following news that a Hilton staff member whom Presley was fond of had been fired, Presley attacked Hilton Hotels chairman Barron Hilton in a verbal rage on stage. [50] This would be successful for a short time, but when Presley discovered the trick, he simply found himself other doctors. There were no witnesses and almost no evidence, except that the killer spread pepper on and around the body before fleeing in hopes that police dogs would not pick up the scent. [49] Sherman had read in news accounts that there was to be no charge for admittance to the concerts, a donation to charity being required instead. [5] Parker countersued. Thomas Andrew Parker (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk; June 26, 1909 January 21, 1997),[1] commonly known as Colonel Parker, was a Dutch musical entrepreneur, best known for being Elvis Presley's manager. He was punished with solitary confinement, from which he emerged with a psychosis that led to him spending two months in a mental hospital,[4] and he was discharged from the Army because of his mental condition. 1. [4] He would often spend 1214 hours at a time gambling in the casinos, betting large sums. A proud father, a combat veteran, dog lover, gym rat, coffee enthusiast and all around equal opportunity doughnut devourer, you can follow his daily exploits on Twitter and Instagram, as well as YouTube Videos on The Arctic Ninja Network. He was believed to have been in debt to the Las Vegas Hilton for over $30 million at one point, which led to his eviction from the property after Elvis' death. [4] At age 17, he first displayed signs of wanting to run away to the United States to "make his fortune". However, that was not the case since Elvis was still under contract to Bob Neal. Parker was a svengali who exerted an extreme amount of control over his charge's career, and took enormous 25 to 50% in commission. At the time of Presley's death in 1977, it was suspected that Parker owed the Las Vegas Hilton over $30 million ($134,151,565 in 2021 dollars[11]) in gambling losses. [55] According to Presley's friend, Larry Geller, Parker secretly wanted the book to be published, hoping that it would help Presley realize the severity of his situation and persuade him to do something about it. He also assisted Jimmie Davis' campaign to become Governor of Louisiana. [50] However, it wasn't long before Presley was able to find other doctors to meet his demands. Elvis Presley had his own struggles, particularly in his later years, as his lavish spending, addiction issues, divorce, and declining health took a toll on The King. He negotiated Presley's lucrative merchandising deals, TV appearances, and acting roles in films. Even so, he continued to sell out shows and hit the Top 10 charts. Presley was never one to stand up against Parker, but he knew that this TV show was his one chance at a true comeback, and with Binder backing him, Presley told Parker he was doing it "Binder's way". [48] Two weeks after the Las Vegas press conference Parker received a letter from Honolulu Advertiser columnist Eddie Sherman. Despite Parker's troubling exploitation of Presley, though,. [12] Parker, with the task of promoting Austin, found the career transition smooth, using much of his "carny" experience to sell tickets and attract the crowds. The very next morning, Tom died in a renowned hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada due to stroke-related complications. [49] The album was released simultaneously around the world, and went to number 1 on the US charts, the first Presley album to do so since the Roustabout soundtrack, in 1964. ", "Photos: Elvis Presley and Colonel Tom Parker", https://www.elvis.com.au/presley/a-new-light-on-colonel-tom-parker.shtml, "A Larger-Than-Life Look at a Larger-Than-Life Star", "Meet the Fifth (Jewish) Beatle Manager Brian Epstein", "The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies", Tom Parker collection and interviews with co workers, ED Bonja Interview Elvis Photographer - the Elvis Information Network exclusive. [33] Parker, on the other hand, was fully aware that any special treatment given to Presley would instantly be used against him in the media and by those who disliked his style of music. During the week-long visit, Parker was informed by Adam van Kuijk that their mother had died three years earlier in 1958, never knowing what happened to her son after he left the Netherlands for good in 1929. The Tom Hanks Tom Parker portrayal has caused quite a bit of controversy upon the film's release. [67] According to interviews given by Parker to the Associated Press many years later, he and Marie were married in Tampa, Florida, during the winter of 1932,[67] but the Florida Office of Vital Statistics had no record of such a marriage any time between 1927 and 1946. [60] Part of this role resulted in Parker keeping the same fourth-floor suite he occupied when Presley was alive. [39] Throughout the 1960s Parker would continually renegotiate Presley's film contracts, often paying little attention to the scripts or the concerns of his client. What happened to the Colonel who managed Elvis? [60], The disputes with the Presley estate did not terminate Parker's association with Presley. [15], In early 1955, Parker became aware of a young singer, Elvis Presley. Parker became known as a shrewd, showy, and manipulative businessman who was able to work out lucrative deals at minimal overhead while making sure his pockets were lined healthily along the way. After Elvis' death in 1977, the Elvis Presley manager continued on as if The King were still alive. [52] After nearly two weeks of trading insults back and forth, Parker and Presley decided to continue to work together. [14] In 1945, Parker became Arnold's full-time manager, signing a contract for 25% of his earnings. After Presley showed signs of rebellion again in 1966 and because of his flagging career, Parker decided that it was time for a new approach: marriage. [26] By the summer Presley had become one of the most famous new faces of the year, causing excitement among the new teenage audience and outrage among some older audiences and religious groups. [15] The rank was honorary, since Louisiana had no organized militia, but Parker used the title throughout his life, becoming known simply as "the Colonel" to many acquaintances. Instead, Parker sent demonstration recordings to record producer Steve Sholes at RCA Victor. [26] With over 78 different possibilities, from charm bracelets to record players, Presley merchandise brought in $22 million by the end of 1956. [4][5] Tual, once appointed as Lisa Marie's guardian ad litem, chose to investigate the entire period of Parker's management of Presley; his preliminary finding was that Parker's management deal of 50% was extortionate compared to the industry average of 1520%. The Tom Hanks Tom Parker portrayal was a shocking one. Imagine owing anyone $146.6 million dollars. [15] Both Mercury Records and Columbia Records showed interest, although their initial offers were nowhere near the $40,000 requirement. He arranged for Presley to appear on popular television shows, such as The Milton Berle Show and The Ed Sullivan Show, securing fees that made Presley the highest-paid star on television. [44] At the time, Presley's back catalog was not considered very important and RCA initially calculated it at being worth much less, but in later years it would become one of the most valuable record catalogs in the music business. It's a surprisingly relatable trait for someone . [15] Despite this, Phillips was not keen to let him go easily, advising Parker that he would require $40,000 (US$404,621 in 2021 dollars[11]) to secure the release of Presley's contract, a completely unheard-of sum at the time. Parker's Net Worth When He Died Was $1 Million. Colonel Tom Parker was a carnival barker, a con man, an inveterate gambler Parker earned and stole from Elvis over 100 million dollars as Elvis manager. Despite the shady financial dealings Parker maintained with Presley, his net worth when he died was much less than that of Elvis, who died with a . In early 1929, a 23-year-old newlywed woman, Anna van den Enden, was found beaten to death in the living quarters behind a greengrocer store. He was 87. The "Colonel" badly mismanaged Elvis. His films still made money and his albums still sold well, but the profits were falling. [18] Neal was struggling at the time to accommodate his new client's success, and in February 1955, following a meeting with Parker, Presley agreed to let Parker take some control of future bookings and promotions. [53] Yet, despite Presley's eagerness to do the shows, Parker again turned them down. His death certificate lists his birth name as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, his country of birth as the Netherlands, and his citizenship as American. [36] If Parker had had any doubts about his return, they were soon gone when he witnessed the turnout along the route. On January 20, 1997, Parker suffered a stroke. Parker was still worried that Presley would return to nothing, that the public would have found a new star to fawn over by then, and that his golden goose would be reduced to nothing more than a "has-been".[35]. [43], It took the energetic 1968 television special Elvis, which the Singer Company sponsored, and a subsequent series of acclaimed recording sessions in Memphis, Tennessee, that included songs such as "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto", to restore Presley's musical reputation. [33] He had arranged for Presley to record five singles before his induction,[35] guaranteeing RCA Victor enough material to release over a two-year period. Related: Elvis True Story: Who Was Orion? [69] In October 1990, Parker married Loanne Miller, his secretary since 1972. [26] Parker, with his 25% share of profits, found ways to make money from his artist that other managers before him had never thought of. [33] He also realized that it would be a great opportunity to promote Presley by having the media witness his induction day, including the Army haircut that would see the most famous hair style in the world destroyed.[33]. The two had become almost strangers, and false reports in the media suggested that Presley's contract was up for sale. [53] Parker later claimed that Presley had asked him to make the contract so demanding so that they would not offer him the part, although many of Presley's friends have contradicted Parker's statement because they had said Presley was furious at losing the role.[53]. He made him join the Army after Elvis was offered an out by the Memphis draft board. 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