[37] Parker, not one to forget harsh criticism, stated that the fee would be $125,000 (equivalent to about $1,145,000 in 2021) for two songs, a total of eight minutes on screen; Sinatra himself was receiving a lower sum for the whole show,[38] but he agreed. 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. [53] Several members of Presley's band later stated that Parker had no idea just how bad the situation was getting. The iconic singer has never truly left the headlines, even though he died four decades ago. [46], On July 8, 1972, inspired by the visit of President Richard Nixon to China a few months earlier,[47] Parker announced that there would be a worldwide satellite broadcast from Hawaii to allow the whole world the chance to see a Presley concert, "since it is impossible for us to play in every major city". Thomas Andrew Parker (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk; June 26, 1909 - January 21, 1997), commonly known as Colonel Parker, was a Dutch musical entrepreneur, best known for being Elvis Presley's manager.. Parker, who was born in the Netherlands, entered the United States illegally when he was 20 years old. [44] These live performances, as well as being financially satisfying, also allowed Parker to fulfill Presley's recording contract with RCA Victor. Parker's cut of Presley's earnings was typically 50%, and by the time Presley died in 1977, Parker had earned an estimated $40 million from his share of Presley's income. "[56] Almost immediately, before even visiting Graceland, Parker traveled to New York City to meet with merchandising associates and executives with RCA Records, instructing them to prepare for a huge demand in Presley products. Parker's main role during these tours was to plan the logistics and make sure tickets were sold. " [Elvis] let us all know when he was upset, and he'd go on a rampage and, you know, cursing. [16] Remembering his previous experience with Sands, Sholes dismissed Sands as a viable replacement for Presley.[16]. [53] Parker, who had always dealt with Presley's film contracts and viewed the offer as a starting bid to earning more money, instead asked for a salary $1 million ($5,035,869 in 2021 dollars[11]), 50% of the profits, plus another $100,000 ($503,587 in 2021 dollars[11]) for expenses, and spoke of needing to arrange details of a soundtrack deal. Parker was a svengali who exerted an extreme amount of control over his charge's career, and took enormous 25 to 50% in commission. He's a very smart man. In the early days of their marriage, Marie and Parker worked together in the carnivals. [49] Seeing the chance to publicize Presley's charitable nature once again, Parker eagerly agreed. [55] As with all the talk about Presley touring overseas, Parker never followed through with the deal. Stories of managerial terrorism abound in music history. Guralnick, Peter (1994). It took a probate court to remove Parker and his 50% fee from future dealings. [56] Shortly afterward, he traveled to Memphis for Presley's funeral. [citation needed], For the remainder of Presley's life, Parker saw little of him. 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]. That never happenedElvis died not knowing of Parker's illegal statusbut he would have had . [5] During a second, more detailed investigation, Tual discovered that all earnings were paid directly to the Trust instead of Parker. The Masked Lookalike Explained. And I know that Elvis loved it. [34] He was upset about the possibility that would affect his career, but Parker was secretly overjoyed. [72] By this point, he was stricken with diabetes, gout, and other health problems such that he could barely leave his own house. [41] With Priscilla's father dropping heavy hints, and fear that their relationship might become public beforehand, Parker persuaded Presley that he should make an "honest woman" of her in the very near future. Nash portrays the Colonel as a psychopathic murderer born June 26, 1909 in Breda, Holland, whose real name is Andreas "Andre" Cornelis van Kuijk. 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". 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. All in all, the manager was known for some appalling behavior towards his star client, and Elvis tries its best to portray that accurately. Tom Parker didn't enjoy a good reputation even after being associated with one of the legendary artists that history has ever seen. And when he said that, I said, 'Oh, well, okay, now that's brand new.". [66] Some suggested that Parker married Marie to disguise his illegal status in the United States;[65] a marriage to a U.S. citizen with a child could help him bury his past in a "ready-made family". [65] Marie was one of six children,[65] had been married twice before, and had a son from her first marriage. [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. [15] Both Mercury Records and Columbia Records showed interest, although their initial offers were nowhere near the $40,000 requirement. Snow eventually led Parker to Elvis Presley. He said 'Did I really?' [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. He was 87. [15] RCA made it clear it were unwilling to go above $25,000 for a practically unknown singer,[15] but Parker persuaded them that Presley was no ordinary unknown singer. Coupled with the fact that the character of Tom Hanks' Tom Parker isn't his usual role, and Hanks was eager to play the part. Just the opposite. [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. After Elvis' death in 1977, the Elvis Presley manager continued on as if The King were still alive. Related: Elvis True Story: Who Was Orion? [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. [17] In the beginning, Presley, Moore, and the bassist Bill Black were a trio, the Blue Moon Boys. But according to Alanna. [5] However, Judge Joseph Evans, aware that Lisa Marie Presley was still a minor, appointed attorney Blanchard E. Tual to investigate Parker's management. Second, for a movie about a musician, Elvis also didn't receive any music nominations at the Oscars. [11][10], Parker first became involved in the music industry as a music promoter in 1938, working with the popular singer Gene Austin. However, that was not the case since Elvis was still under contract to Bob Neal. Frequently photographed with Presley, Parker became a celebrity in his . 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 . QUICK FACTS Birth Year: 1909 Birth date: June 26, 1909 Birth City: Breda Birth. Elvis had gone to the home of an employee he liked, whose wife was dying from cancer, and Hilton terminated the employee because of a rule banning any contact between employees and hotel talent . He also became friendly with the estate again, attending special ceremonies and events in Memphis, invited by Priscilla. Between 1969 and 1972 alone, RCA released three albums of live material. It's one of only a very few villainous roles that Hanks has taken in his long career in movies, making it a relatively rare departure for the actor. You're going to be a star.'"[71]. [12] He was a successful promoter, but he wanted to move into management.[12]. He would sniff out talent and attempt to milk them for all they were worth, including Elvis, whom he initially saw as an act that wouldn't last more than a few years. [4] Fans and biographers alike believe that one of the main reasons Parker signed Presley to a Vegas hotel in 1969 for his live comeback was to help cover losses he experienced in their casino. And there certainly would've been no Elvis without Colonel Tom Parker.' The truth about his early years was revealed in 1960 when one of Parker's sisters, Nel Dankers-van Kuijk, living in the Netherlands, recognized him in photographs standing next to Presley. [33] Presley had wanted to join Special Services, allowing him the opportunity to perform while at the same time getting an easier ride than other soldiers. [19][20] Part of Parker's role was to secure a new recording contract with a bigger label. "[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. Adam van Kuijk died from emphysema in 1992, never seeing or visiting Parker again.[63]. Parker was able to receive more than half of the income from the enterprise, an unprecedented figure for a music manager. His films still made money and his albums still sold well, but the profits were falling. 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. [56] At the funeral, he persuaded Presley's father to sign over control of Presley's career in death to him. Parker held another press conference on September 4, 1972, in Las Vegas to confirm that the concert, now titled Aloha from Hawaii, would be broadcast on January 14, 1973. Parker had unknowingly backed himself into a financial corner. These four shows alone grossed $730,000 ($4,729,029 in 2021 dollars[11]). "A couple times he set me up in the Elvis Presley suite on top of the Hilton, and I would go play Elvis for a week One night we were at the crap table together and he rubbed my head for luck. The Tom Hanks Tom Parker portrayal was a shocking one. Parker was looking ahead when he persuaded Presley to sign up as a Soldier. In January 1997, Parker suffered from a stroke and died the next day in a hospital in Las Vegas at the age of 87. "I had the luxury of essentially recreating somebody who no one really knew. [72], His funeral was held at the Hilton Hotel and was attended by a handful of friends and former associates, including Eddy Arnold and Sam Phillips. [16] In the drama, the role of Sands was portrayed as a "twisted psychopath". Frank Sinatra, who had declared Presley a rock and roll disgrace in the 1950s, was keen to have him appear on his show. In the end, both Elvis and Colonel Parker shared a tragic journey that mirrored their working relationship. Parker adopted the title as if it were part of his identity, frequently being referred to as "The Colonel," despite his military discharge. [16] Soon after, Sands' song "Teen-Age Crush" reached number 2 on the pop charts, eventually selling 800,000 copies. [15] Eventually, Parker began getting more involved in music promotion again, this time for himself rather than the Society. He completed basic training at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia.[4]. [15] Around the same time, realizing the deal for Presley might fall through due to the cost of the contract, Parker attempted to sell Tommy Sands to RCA. [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. [39] When Presley complained to him that he wanted better scripts, Parker reminded him of his lavish lifestyle and that risking $1 million a year for doing practically no work was dangerous. [35] He was reportedly afraid that Presley would realize that there were other managers available prepared to sign contracts that did not require as much as 25% of his earnings. Later, in 1983, Parker admitted during an interview that after 1966, the income from Presley films and soundtracks was dramatically reduced. Snow attended the signing, thinking that Elvis had signed a management contract with Jamboree Attractions, which he owned with Parker. 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. [15] Over the next few years, he helped Arnold secure hit songs, television appearances, and live tours. For his part, Parker himself died with a net worth of $1 million, or roughly . Instead, he found employment as a field agent with a local animal shelter, the Hillsborough County Humane Society. [50] However, it wasn't long before Presley was able to find other doctors to meet his demands. On January 20, 1997, Parker suffered a stroke. Parker appeared to be in complete control during Presley's time away, but he was worried about the outside influence that Presley might encounter in West Germany. 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. 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