Gaining or losing weight, taking on accents, and experimenting in a variety of genres that pushed his limits as an actor, Hanks has built a career out of challenging roles. [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. Their instincts were proven right; the TV special proved an enormous hit, and the album that was released featuring performances from the special became a best-seller, but the comeback special was interrupted when Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated on June 5, 1968. [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. [55] As with all the talk about Presley touring overseas, Parker never followed through with the deal. [16] He arranged live appearances and became something of a father figure to the then-15-year-old Sands. In general, fans of the icon think that Colonel Parker never let Elvis fully shine. [53] According to Parker himself, he did privately attempt to talk to his client a number of times about the matter, but allegedly every time Parker casually told Presley to quit or at least tone it down with the pill popping and binge eating, Presley would respond by telling Parker to stay out of his personal business. In January 1958 Presley received his draft notice from the United States Army. Parker made several attempts to have it stopped, but failed to do so. [60], The disputes with the Presley estate did not terminate Parker's association with Presley. Thats insane! Hanks said, "I was anticipating hearing horror stories about this venal, cheap crook. [8], In May 1929, Van Kuijk returned to the United States at age 19, finding work with carnivals due to his previous experience in the Netherlands. In the early days of their marriage, Marie and Parker worked together in the carnivals. [50] As well as being their employer and paying their wages, he was also their main source of access to drugs for themselves. In May 1973, in an attempt to deal with Presley's growing dependence on prescription drugs, Presley's father, Vernon, and Parker attempted to cut off his supply. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. His death certificate lists his birth name as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, his country of birth as the Netherlands, and his citizenship as American. [64] In 1993, in one of his last media appearances, Parker appeared in a television interview with Dutch TV director Jorrit van der Kooi where they spoke to each other in Dutch about the Netherlands and about Elvis Presley's life and career. A carnival worker by background, Parker moved into music promotion in 1938, working with one of the first popular crooners, Gene Austin, and then country music singers Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow, and Tommy Sands in his early career. 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 . On top of that, Parker found venue upon venue for Elvis to perform in, be it recording studios, Hollywood films, TV specials, and even satellite broadcasts, immersing the artist into the cultural zeitgeist while keeping him landlocked in North America. Stories of managerial terrorism abound in music history. He adopted a new name and claimed to have been born in the United States. 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. [61], As Presley's fame grew, people became interested in Parker as well. Having previously sold the rights to Presley's early recordings to RCA Records, he struggled to secure a steady income, and his financial situation worsened after he sustained significant gambling losses. Frequently photographed with Presley, Parker became a celebrity in his . [16] Sholes showed little interest in Sands, but promised that he would attempt to find songs Sands might be able to record. 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. [40] These deals were sometimes so harsh on the studios that it led producer Hal Wallis to state: "I'd rather try and close a deal with the Devil. [17] In the beginning, Presley, Moore, and the bassist Bill Black were a trio, the Blue Moon Boys. [36] If Parker had had any doubts about his return, they were soon gone when he witnessed the turnout along the route. 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. [55] Although Parker publicly denied these claims, he had been in talks with Peter Grant, the manager of Led Zeppelin, about the possibility of him overseeing a European tour for Presley. [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. However, it soon became obvious that Elvis had staying power, with the right guidance. Related: Elvis True Story: Who Was Orion? Tom Parker wasn't a household name before Elvis, but it's clear that after the biopic, it soon will be. [67] It is also recorded that Marie did not divorce her second husband until 1936, and her brother, Bitsy, recalled no ceremony of marriage between Parker and Marie. [53] They discussed the possibility of Presley's co-starring with Streisand in a remake of the film A Star Is Born. Presley's career stagnated while artists like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys dominated the charts. [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. [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. [citation needed], For the remainder of Presley's life, Parker saw little of him. [60] Part of this role resulted in Parker keeping the same fourth-floor suite he occupied when Presley was alive. [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]. [15] Eventually, Parker began getting more involved in music promotion again, this time for himself rather than the Society. His Dutch birthplace and immigrant status were not revealed for many years. [53] Hulett's company had managed tours for Presley, and he had worked with artists such as Led Zeppelin. Colonel Tom is credited as being the man who made Elvis Presley a star. He died in 1997 at the age of 87. Inc.[4] However, because Parker was still entitled to 50% of all Presley's income, and after taxes were taken off, the overall amount going towards the upkeep of the estate was less than $1 million a year.[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] During his first visit there, he traveled with a Chautauqua educational tent show, before returning briefly to the Netherlands. [54], In July 1976, three of Presley's personal bodyguards and members of the "Memphis Mafia", Robert Gene "Red" West, his cousin Sonny West and David Hebler, were fired by Vernon Presley and decided to write a tell-all book about their life in his inner circle, Elvis: What Happened? While Presley was serving in West Germany, Parker was hard at work keeping Presley's name known to the public. 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. [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. Later, in 1983, Parker admitted during an interview that after 1966, the income from Presley films and soundtracks was dramatically reduced. Elvis is signed exclusively to the Colonel. [34] He was upset about the possibility that would affect his career, but Parker was secretly overjoyed. [15], In 1948, Parker received the honorary rank of colonel in the Louisiana State Militia from Jimmie Davis, the governor of Louisiana and a former country singer, in return for work Parker did on Davis's election campaign. [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%. ", "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. Elvis and the Colonel were associated throughout the musician's entire career, including music, movies, and TV specials. 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. [15] Although Neal remained Presley's official manager, Parker was becoming increasingly involved in the running of his career, and by the summer of 1955 he had become Presley's "special advisor". His accent wasn't so theatrical, and he was way funnier than Baz Luhrmann gives him credit for. Parker did not appear to care if the films were good or bad but only about the profits. What it means in the movie: The Colonel, standing in the shadows, stalks the hillbilly newcomer Elvis Presley at the Louisiana Hayride and realizes, "He was my destiny." What happened in real life: On Jan. 15, 1955, Colonel Parker traveled to Shreveport, Louisiana, to watch Elvis on the Hayride . Both Priscilla and Jerry said he was a lovely man". Snow attended the signing, thinking that Elvis had signed a management contract with Jamboree Attractions, which he owned with Parker. February 27, 2023 . The Amazing Comeback Of Colonel Tom Parker "Colonel Tom Parker managed Elvis Presley's career from 1955 to 1977. 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. On March 26, 1956, after Presley's management contract with Neal expired, Presley signed a contract with Parker that made him his exclusive representative. 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. [67] As Parker's management career began to take off, Marie became more of a housewife, although she would occasionally travel with him to various parts of the country. Born as Andreas Cornelis Dries van Kuijk in the Netherlands, the Tom Hanks Tom Parker portrayal saw him illegally immigrate to the United States, finding employment as a carnival worker before joining the Army, where he was eventually discharged after going AWOL. And when he said that, I said, 'Oh, well, okay, now that's brand new.". Guralnick, Peter (1994). 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. [41] The Cadillac tour proved to be somewhat more successful than the film itself. The claim of Parker's Dutch heritage was publicly confirmed when Parker unsuccessfully tried to avert a lawsuit brought against him in 1982 by asserting in open court that he was a Dutch citizen. [19][20] Part of Parker's role was to secure a new recording contract with a bigger label. [35] All of these stories were fabrications, but it kept his name in view of the public. After Elvis' death in 1977, the Elvis Presley manager continued on as if The King were still alive. For a time, Parker lied about his childhood, claiming to have been born in Huntington, West Virginia, in the early 1900s to explain his Dutch accent as being a Southern accent, and to have run away from home at an early age to join a circus owned by an uncle before serving in the U.S. Army prior to his involvement with being a music manager. Played by Tom Hanks in the new biopic Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann, Colonel Tom Parker remains, 25 years after his death, and nearly half a century after the death of his only client, the most memorable and divisive manager in the history of show business.It was the Colonel who propelled his "boy", as he would refer to him, from being a local celebrity in Memphis to being the most . There are probably a number of reasons for 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? With this the fake Americanisation of Dries van Kuijk was complete. In January 1997, Parker suffered from a stroke and died the next day in a hospital in Las Vegas at the age of 87. However, Hanks, who has six prior nominations and won twice, was snubbed for his role as Colonel Tom Parker. [29] Some viewed him as a clown-like figure, wiggling his hips for screams, while others found him vulgar and more suitable for late-night gentleman's clubs. [15], Parker immediately went to work to find a new label for Presley. [43] A breakfast reception was arranged, taking place after the media got their photographs of the couple. Also to die at a similar age of either heart or lung problems were Elvis' mother Gladys and three of her brothers. The iconic singer has never truly left the headlines, even though he died four decades ago. But, after he gave a detailed invoice to Elvis, the star realized he couldn't pay Parker, so they continued collaborating. [4] It was later revealed that Presley owned 22% of the company, Parker owned 56%, and the final 22% was made up of various business associates. By 1980, the cost of running the estate was estimated to be as much as $500,000 a year. Parker privately acknowledged his brother and even introduced him to Presley. Parker was a svengali who exerted an extreme amount of control over his charge's career, and took enormous 25 to 50% in commission. You read that right, $146.6 million dollars. PIONEERING EARLY MANAGEMENT Elvis picked up an impressive seven Oscar nominations. 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". [1][4], At age 15, Van Kuijk moved to Rotterdam, gaining employment on boats in the port town. 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