[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. You read that right, $146.6 million dollars. But according to Alanna Nashwho spent time with the real Colonel in the '90sthere were times when he was just as scary as what you see onscreen. [55] As with all the talk about Presley touring overseas, Parker never followed through with the deal. [44] He would usually fly ahead to the venues and prepare the way for Presley's entourage to follow so that he and Presley rarely saw each other, and, as time progressed, it became even more difficult for Parker to get in contact with Presley. The complex Elvis/Parker relationship is the glue that holds Elvis together, making it different from yet another musician biopic. [6] He was the son of Maria Elisabeth (Ponsie) and Adam van Kuijk. Imagine owing anyone $146.6 million dollars. [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. But according to Alanna. Parker did not appear to care if the films were good or bad but only about the profits. "[27][28], Parker signed a deal with Beverly Hills film merchandiser Hank Saperstein for nearly $40,000 to turn Presley into a brand name. Both Priscilla and Jerry said he was a lovely man". During the interview, Parker said that he was not aware that another one of his sisters, Adriana van Kuijk, had died in the Netherlands a few years before. Parker was a svengali who exerted an extreme amount of control over his charge's career, and took enormous 25 to 50% in commission. ( Elvis' Manager ) Alpha 11 201K subscribers Subscribe 2.3K Share 313K views 5 years ago Colonel Tom Parker managed Elvis Presley for the majority of. [4] After a lifetime that saw him earn in excess of $100 million, Parker's estate was worth barely $1 million when he died. The other five nominations were for technical (Editing, Sound, Cinematography) and design (Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling). [53] Yet, despite Presley's eagerness to do the shows, Parker again turned them down. [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]. Never one to miss an opportunity to make money off of his prized client, Colonel Tom Parker jumped on Elvis' death as a marketing cash grab. "I had the luxury of essentially recreating somebody who no one really knew. Elvis died of a heart attack aged 42 on August 16 1977. Parker remained Elvis' manager until Presley's death in 1977. It took a probate court to remove Parker and his 50% fee from future dealings. [5] The case against Parker was settled out of court in 1983, with the estate paying him $2 million ($5,441,363 in 2021 dollars[11])[5] in exchange for all Presley audio recordings or visual images that he owned[4] and the termination of his involvement in any Presley related earnings for five years. Tom Parker didn't enjoy a good reputation even after being associated with one of the legendary artists that history has ever seen. In 1958, Parker encouraged Elvis to voluntarily enlist in the Army (part of Elvis' true story) after he received a draft notice and serve a two-year stint as a regular soldier, showing the world that he was just like any average American. [15] However, RCA Victor producer Steve Sholes was convinced that Presley's style of music would be a huge hit with the right label, and he began talks with Parker. [65] Unbeknown to Parker at the time, she had a second son from her first marriage, but had given him up for adoption at birth due to his disability (a club foot). Parker was able to receive more than half of the income from the enterprise, an unprecedented figure for a music manager. [44] He offered RCA Records the opportunity to buy Presley's entire back catalog for $5.4 million. And now I need to locate my wallet, because I noticed there was no ticket booth on the way in here, but I'm sure that the Colonel must have arranged for some toll on the way out. He then did the unthinkable, convincing Elvis' father, Vernon, to sign over control of Elvis' movie and singing "career" to him. [61], As Presley's fame grew, people became interested in Parker as well. Guralnick, Peter (1994). He was 87 years old at the age of his death. The Elvis Presley manager did a lot of controversial things during his time in show business, and the Baz Luhrmann movie reveals just how much of a monster he really was. [55] Worried about the impact such details might have on his career, Presley, through his father, asked Parker to stop the publication. The sale of the back catalog to RCA meant that after his death, Presley's estate would not receive any royalties for any Presley recordings made prior to 1973. Phillips told them to make a separate deal with Elvis. [4], In 1935, Parker married 27-year-old Marie Francis Mott. ", "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. [67] Author Alanna Nash has suggested that the couple may have simply placed their hands on a Bible and given themselves a "carny wedding".[67]. He had booked Presley into a four-week Las Vegas engagement, misjudging the reaction of the slightly older, more reserved audiences that Las Vegas attracted. Even so, he continued to sell out shows and hit the Top 10 charts. "[40], Presley had to do no more than provide RCA Victor with three albums a year,[37] and his film soundtracks did that for him. [26] Presley said of Parker: "I don't think I would have ever been very big if it wasn't for him. Stories appeared in the press regularly about Presley, including that he would do a live CCTV broadcast when he returned and that he had signed a deal for a series of annual television spectaculars to be broadcast across the country. Instead, he found employment as a field agent with a local animal shelter, the Hillsborough County Humane Society. In particular, Hanks was looking forward to taking part in a fresh look at the story, as the tale of Elvis is well-known enough to garner fatigue. Although from the Netherlands originally, actor Tom Hanks' Parker had a Southern-style accent due to a huge chunk of his life being spent there, but it was more of a mixture with his native Dutch accent. [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. In the early days of their marriage, Marie and Parker worked together in the carnivals. The show, titled "Welcome Home, Elvis", was Presley's first national television appearance since The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1957. [13] Instead, Parker decided to stay in Temple Terrace, Florida, with his family, perhaps to avoid having to submit paperwork that could expose his illegal status. Austin offered Parker the opportunity to move to Nashville, Tennessee, where music was becoming a big business, but for reasons unknown Parker turned him down. While Elvis and the Colonel carried the movie to several awards, Hanks' omission stands out above most others. [51] In her book, The Colonel, she writes: "in the days before the Betty Ford Clinic, the Colonel didn't know where to take him for discreet, effective help and loathed risking the loss of work if the truth got out". p. 258. [16] Sholes showed little interest in Sands, but promised that he would attempt to find songs Sands might be able to record. According to financial documents, Parker took nearly half of Elvis' income, which is an indication that the singer's lifestyle was heavily reliant on debt. He received more than half of the income from Elvis's early success, which at the time was an unprecedented figure. [4] At age 17, he first displayed signs of wanting to run away to the United States to "make his fortune". Snow eventually led Parker to Elvis Presley. These four shows alone grossed $730,000 ($4,729,029 in 2021 dollars[11]). According to Presley's biographer Peter Guralnick, Presley and Parker "were really like, in a sense, a married couple, who started out with great love, loyalty, respect that lasted for a considerable period of time, and went through a number of stages until, towards the end of Presley's life, they should have walked away. The contract, dated July 12, 1954, eight days after their first recording session, was signed by Presley and his parents. [48], Aloha from Hawaii proved to be the last great moment in Presley's career. Parker suffered a stroke in 1997, dying at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada after years of declining health, survived only by his second wife. [53] Streisand's production company, First Artists, offered Presley a salary of $500,000 ($2,517,934 in 2021 dollars[11]) and 10% of the profits. [4] Although Parker had served honorably for a time, he went AWOL this time and was charged with desertion. The actor won his first Oscar for Philadelphia, where he played an AIDs-afflicted lawyer, losing significant weight to portray the character's declining health. So clearly the rock star never worked up the will to actually go through with the firing. But as time went on, as the Beatles began their dominance of the music charts and the worldwide phenomenon known as Beatlemania began, Presley became less significant. He claimed Parker negotiated side deals with RCA that defrauded Presley of $2.8 million. [4], Parker had worked as a "consultant" for Hilton Hotels since Presley's death,[60] with some believing he was working to pay off debts owed to the casino from his gambling during Presley's performances there. "[42] Parker used the argument that Presley was his only client and he was thus earning only one fee.[42]. In 1994, following the marriage of Lisa Marie and Michael Jackson, Parker stated that Presley would not have approved. [68] Marie died on November 25, 1986, of a chronic brain syndrome at age 78. [14] Parker served in the peacetime army as a precondition for taking advantage of that stipulation, but he never subsequently applied to become a citizen. [50] As well as being their employer and paying their wages, he was also their main source of access to drugs for themselves. [33], Presley had been showing signs of rebellion against Parker, and Parker believed that a stint in the Army would cure him of this. Elvis: The Controversy Behind Colonel Tom Parker Explained, Elvis Cast Guide: What The Characters Look Like In Real Life, illegal immigrant (the theme of the Netflix series, Elvis True Story: Who Was Orion? He was given the honorary title of "Colonel" in the Louisiana State Militia from Governor Jimmie Davis as thanks for the work he did on his political campaign. [19][20] Part of Parker's role was to secure a new recording contract with a bigger label. For the entirety of Presley's nearly 25-year career as "The King," his manager, "Colonel" Tom Parker, was the man who made all the career decisions. Parker realized early on the bigger potential of Austin Butler's Elvis and transitioned to managing him full-time. In 1983, he was paid $2 million dollars in an out-of-court settlement, which had him turn over any and all audio and video recordings he had of Elvis and terminated his involvement in any Elvis-related earnings for five years. What Really Happened To Colonel Tom Parker? What happened to Colonel Tom Parker? [43] A breakfast reception was arranged, taking place after the media got their photographs of the couple.