[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. [60] On the surface, however, relations between the two were as good as ever, with Parker helping the Hilton to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Presley's death. Related: The Darkest Moments In Oscars History. Even so, he continued to sell out shows and hit the Top 10 charts. Parker, who was born in the Netherlands, entered the United States illegally when he was 20 years old. After Elvis' death in 1977, the Elvis Presley manager continued on as if The King were still alive. [4], In The Colonel, her 2003 biography of Parker, Alanna Nash wrote that Parker may have been a suspect or a person of interest in an unsolved murder case in Breda. [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. After a lifetime of earning well over $100 million managing Elvis, The Colonel's estate was barely worth $1 million upon his death. What's amazing is this, after Elvis' death, Parker is said to have owed $30 million in gambling debts to the Las Vegas Hilton. [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. The very next morning, Tom died in a renowned hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada due to stroke-related complications. "I had the luxury of essentially recreating somebody who no one really knew. The Elvis manager certainly had some unethical practices when it came to the King of Rock n Roll, and many were shocked upon viewing the film to find out that this was the case. 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. [57], Parker set out to protect his future income. Parker's main role during these tours was to plan the logistics and make sure tickets were sold. 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. Colonel Tom Parker's home (former), 409 Park Ridge Avenue, Temple Terrace, Fl. [15] Both Mercury Records and Columbia Records showed interest, although their initial offers were nowhere near the $40,000 requirement. [4] He also noted that Parker's handling of Presley's business affairs during his lifetime, including the decision to sell off past royalties to RCA for $5.4 million in 1973, was unethical and poorly handled. . [41] Selling it to RCA for $24,000 ($200,443 in 2021 dollars[11]), it was used to promote Presley's latest film, Frankie & Johnny. Snow attended the signing, thinking that Elvis had signed a management contract with Jamboree Attractions, which he owned with Parker. Known for his keen promotion and merchandising savvy, Parker, or "the Snowman," would help to make Elvis a household name, putting the singer on everything from lunch boxes to board games to trading cards and beyond. 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". I said, 'Yeah, you rubbed my head.' [72] By this point, he was stricken with diabetes, gout, and other health problems such that he could barely leave his own house. After a heated argument between the two, Presley told Parker he was fired. [33] [14] In 1945, Parker became Arnold's full-time manager, signing a contract for 25% of his earnings. [53] Hulett's company had managed tours for Presley, and he had worked with artists such as Led Zeppelin. The Colonel was well-known as a strong promoter that frequently leaned into exploitation. According to several people who knew Presley at the time, the talks with Hulett got so far along that it seemed almost inevitable the deal would be done. [citation needed], After the success of Presley's return to live performing in Las Vegas, Parker decided it was time to take him back out on tour for the first time in 13 years. At that time Parker believed Elvis to be black. Imagine owing anyone $146.6 million dollars. [54] Vernon also threatened to find a new manager if Parker wouldn't continue to tour Presley. At the time of his death, Parker was suffering with diabetes, gout, and various other health problems. While it sometimes borders on cartoonish parody, with Hanks seemingly becoming a supervillain of sorts, it fits the overall style and narrative of Director Baz Luhrmann's movie. I said 'Yeah'. [16] Sholes showed little interest in Sands, but promised that he would attempt to find songs Sands might be able to record. Formerly the Editor-in-Chief of JoBlo.com, he has over a decade of writing and reporting about the entertainment industry and has covered everything from Comic Con to CinemaCon to Star Wars Celebration, as well as covering numerous set visits and junkets all over the world. [5] Parker countersued. The contract, dated July 12, 1954, eight days after their first recording session, was signed by Presley and his parents. Parker encountered Presley in 1955, and by 1956 had become his primary representative. RCA was eager for Presley to record in West Germany, but Parker insisted that it would ruin his reputation as a regular soldier if he was able to go into a recording studio. This deed on the part of Vernon and Gladys Presley marked a permanent separation of Elvis from his mother, and as Elvis was a classic "mama's boy". He completed basic training at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia.[4]. 1. Colonel Tom Parker, as played by Tom Hanks in Elvis, was the controversial manager of singer Elvis Presley (played by Austin Butler) with a mysterious past who had a key role in both The King's . Parker began 1956 intending to bring his new star to the national stage. 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. [16], Regardless of the success that Parker and Presley had achieved, Parker was still struggling to believe that Presley's career would last longer than a year or two. According to Priscilla, Elvis was happy to pay 50% to Parker to manage him.[73]. In 1963, Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's audacious manager who had gotten his start selling candy apples in carnivals, read in the paper that Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidential yacht, the U.S.S. It took a probate court to remove Parker and his 50% fee from future dealings. In later years, Parker's influence waned, but he continued in his management role until Presley's death in 1977. [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. Dutch-born US musical entrepreneur (19091997). He quickly became the singer's sole representative, and within months he had won Elvis a recording contract with RCA Victor.. In general, fans of the icon think that Colonel Parker never let Elvis fully shine. Baz Luhrmann's musical biopic Elvis explores the eponymous singer's career, leading up to his tragic death, and one of the characters that has caused a fair amount of controversy is Elvis and the Colonel, Tom Parker. With 1956 coming to a close, Parker had made Presley one of the most well-known, well-paid entertainers in the world. However, that was not the case since Elvis was still under contract to Bob Neal. [53] Several members of Presley's band later stated that Parker had no idea just how bad the situation was getting. [41] Frank Sinatra had married Mia Farrow in 1966, and it had produced enough publicity for Parker to sit up and take notice. [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%. [15], Parker immediately went to work to find a new label for Presley. 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? [9] He began to build up a list of contacts that would prove valuable in later years. 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. [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. Dolly admitted: "I cried all night. However, they had a dispute over an incident Presley had done on stage, and Parker was about to get fired. He's a very smart man. God, yes! [33], Presley had been showing signs of rebellion against Parker, and Parker believed that a stint in the Army would cure him of this. [68] Marie died on November 25, 1986, of a chronic brain syndrome at age 78. QUICK FACTS Birth Year: 1909 Birth date: June 26, 1909 Birth City: Breda Birth. Parker was also afraid that any attempt to block Presley from being drafted would result in a more detailed look into his own service record. [16], Eddy Arnold fired Parker in 1953 over Parker's growing involvement with the singer Hank Snow. Presley's career stagnated while artists like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys dominated the charts. [19][20] Part of Parker's role was to secure a new recording contract with a bigger label. [68] From then on, he continued living in Las Vegas, mostly avoiding contact with the press. Presley had been living with Priscilla Beaulieu, ten years his junior, for the past four years, but it had not been public knowledge. The show, titled "Welcome Home, Elvis", was Presley's first national television appearance since The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1957. After Elvis' death, Parker continued to manage the Elvis Presley Enterprises, and also worked with Presley's daughter Lisa Marie and his wife Priscilla. Parker was a svengali who exerted an extreme amount of control over his charge's career, and took enormous 25 to 50% in commission. Tom Hanks' portrayal of Elvis' manager Colonel Tom Parker in the 2022 biopic created controversy - here's the true story behind Hanks' Tom 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. While it is believed that he made over $100 million dollars during his time with Elvis, he was rumored to only be worth a million dollars when he died, and at one point, had gambling debts in excess of $ Continue Reading Related questions [50] However, it wasn't long before Presley was able to find other doctors to meet his demands. [4] He enlisted in the United States Army a few months later, taking the name "Tom Parker" from the same name of the officer who interviewed him, to disguise the fact he was an illegal alien. Colonel Tom Parker was a man with a shady past. [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. Hanks said, "I was anticipating hearing horror stories about this venal, cheap crook. [citation needed] After a cold reception during his first few shows,[30] Parker cut Presley's appearance to two weeks. After Elvis' death in 1977, the Elvis Presley manager continued on as if The King were still alive. [55] The book was published one year later on July 12, 1977, one month before Presley's death. His films still made money and his albums still sold well, but the profits were falling. Parker struggled with a gambling addiction while keeping Elvis on a short leash, halting the singer from touring overseas and pushing him into cheap projects that were frequently averse to what the artist wanted to be a part of, eventually taking 50% of Elvis' earnings, of which they both agreed upon. [53] Presley was beginning to consider new management, with Concerts West co-founder Tom Hulett being the clear favorite for the job. [53], From 1974 onward, Presley's weight gain and prescription drug abuse became too much to be controlled. He adopted a new name and claimed to have been born in the United States. Parker returned to the carnival (one not-too-dissimilar to the 1950s carnival in American Horror Story thanks to the setting), where he made his living for a time before getting involved in music promotion, working with the likes of Gene Austin, Minnie Pearl, Eddy Arnold, and Hank Snow. Parker adopted the title as if it were part of his identity, frequently being referred to as "The Colonel," despite his military discharge. [41], To make up for lack of earnings, Parker arranged for Presley's gold Cadillac to go on tour. He adopted a new name and claimed to have been born in the United States. "[24], With his first RCA Victor single, "Heartbreak Hotel", in 1956,[25] Presley became a recording star. [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. What Elvis Gets RightAnd WrongAbout the Real Colonel Tom Parker His accent wasn't so theatrical, and he was way funnier than Baz Luhrmann gives him credit for. [16] NBC had originally wanted Presley for the role, but Parker had turned them down. [14] With the Society in need of funds, Parker set about using his promotional experience to raise money and awareness for the shelter. Parker's response: "That's not true at all. 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. However, the tide wasn't actually changed until a 1968 TV special, produced by Scott Binder, put Elvis the singer back on top, while simultaneously showing the Colonel how close he was to losing the singer to another producer. The Tom Hanks Tom Parker portrayal has caused quite a bit of controversy upon the film's release. Instead, Parker sent demonstration recordings to record producer Steve Sholes at RCA Victor. But according to IMDb, it was because Elvis just didn't like dealing with confrontation. 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. This proved very lucrative, especially when the single for Presley's first film, Love Me Tender, sold over one million copies in advance sales. Just the opposite. 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. 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 . "[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. 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