However, the music scene had radically changed. [49] Seeing the chance to publicize Presley's charitable nature once again, Parker eagerly agreed. 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. Parker suffered a stroke on Jan. 20, 1997 and died the next morning at a hospital in Las Vegas. "[60], In 1994, a Golden Palm Star on the Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, California, was dedicated to him. [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. [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. After the Sinatra special, Parker decided that Presley's future lay in Hollywood. 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. [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". [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. [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] Parker's final years were spent living in Las Vegas, in increasingly poor health before his death in 1997. Most notably, in Colonel Tom Parker, the mysterious manager portrayed by Tom Hanks in Elvis. [15] Both Mercury Records and Columbia Records showed interest, although their initial offers were nowhere near the $40,000 requirement. [41] In Houston alone in one afternoon, 40,000 people paid to see it, with one woman offering to have sex with the tour manager if he would allow her to sit in it. Here's why Colonel Tom Parker is so controversial. [5] However, Judge Joseph Evans, aware that Lisa Marie Presley was still a minor, appointed attorney Blanchard E. Tual to investigate Parker's management. At that time Parker believed Elvis to be black. "[70], Songwriter Mac Davis recounted a similar experience where Parker rubbed his head and declared "You're going to be a star. [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". [15] However, Parker remained involved in many of Arnold's live tours and demanded a buyout of $50,000 (US$506,405 in 2021 dollars[11]) to settle their contract. [54] Vernon also threatened to find a new manager if Parker wouldn't continue to tour Presley. [26] Presley said of Parker: "I don't think I would have ever been very big if it wasn't for him. After Elvis' death in 1977, the Elvis Presley manager continued on as if The King were still alive. He influenced Presley's personal life, including Presley's decisions to accept military service in 1958 and to marry Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967. 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. [1][4], At age 15, Van Kuijk moved to Rotterdam, gaining employment on boats in the port town. 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. [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. Parker hoped that marriage would not only boost Presley's career but also possibly tame him. Presley had a singing style different from the current trend, and Parker was immediately interested in the future of this musical style. After that, his crippling gambling habit caught up with him, and Parker died nearly penniless. Inc, to control Presley merchandise and keep a steady income supporting his estate. 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 . I quit! [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. 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. He realized that by keeping RCA Victor, and more importantly the public, hungry for more Presley material, he would be able to negotiate a better contract when Presley returned from active service. [4] From about 1931 until 1938, he worked as a "carny" with Royal American Shows. [29] While Presley was a hit among the youth of America, the middle-aged audiences found him an oddity. While Presley was serving in West Germany, Parker was hard at work keeping Presley's name known to the public. [35] He sent Presley's friends to keep him company, arranged for business associates to watch over him while they were working in Europe, and kept in regular contact with him. [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. Elvis and the Colonel worked to change his overall image in the wake of the backlash from his critics, who frequently deemed him offensive. [35] Parker had declined to travel to Europe, denying that he spoke any language other than English. He's a very smart man. [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. Parker was able to receive more than half of the income from the enterprise, an unprecedented figure for a music manager. 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. 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. 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. 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 net worth of $5 million - around $20 million when adjusted for inflation. [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. 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. The 19 years of silence that his mysterious correspondent mentioned took the story as far back as 1961exactly the year that the Van Kuijk family had made contract with Parker, and Ad van Kuijk. 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. [65], Others, however, had doubts about whether they were legally married at all. 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 success and downfall. This is because Elvis' manager, Colonel Tom Parker, had previously arranged a deal to sell those to RCA for $5.4 million, out of which only $1.35 million went to Elvis after Parker's 50% fee and income taxes. After his Army hitch, he had him stop making personal appearances, and limited his public exposure to three sappy movies a year. Presley's first manager was Scotty Moore, the guitarist in his band, who was encouraged by Sun Records owner Sam Phillips to become Presley's manager to protect Elvis from unscrupulous music promoters. [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. Parker encouraged Presley to make film musicals which became the focus of his career during his commercial decline in the 1960s until his 1968 comeback and return to touring. He is passionate about film, comics, TV and spends way too much on collectibles. [68] Parker began to distance himself emotionally from her, heartbroken by her slow mental deterioration from the woman he once knew. You're going to be a star.'"[71]. [56] Other accounts suggest he slumped in his chair at his office, muttered, "Oh, dear God", and then quickly phoned Vernon Presley, where Parker advised Presley's father that his son's image needed to be protected. I said 'Yeah'. The very next morning, Tom died in a renowned hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada due to stroke-related complications. In later years, Parker's influence waned, but he continued in his management role until Presley's death in 1977. [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. In general, fans of the icon think that Colonel Parker never let Elvis fully shine. More: Does Elvis Have An After Credits Scene? [37] He allowed him to perform three live shows in 1961, all charity events, two in Memphis and one in Hawaii. [52], In February 1975, during his engagement in Las Vegas, Presley, along with Parker, met with Barbra Streisand and Jon Peters. He received more than half of the income from Elvis's early success, which at the time was an unprecedented figure. K-pop stars break under the. (Elvis), Tom Hanks (Colonel Tom Parker), Olivia DeJonge (Priscilla) and other actors will also be on . [56] At the funeral, he persuaded Presley's father to sign over control of Presley's career in death to him. Frank Sinatra, who had declared Presley a rock and roll disgrace in the 1950s, was keen to have him appear on his show. For the rest of his life, Parker managed the Presley estate. His films still made money and his albums still sold well, but the profits were falling. [45], By 1972, Parker had managed to increase Presley's weekly wage in Las Vegas to $150,000 ($971,718 in 2021 dollars[11]), and secured $50,000 a year ($323,906 in 2021 dollars[11]) for himself as a "consultant to the hotel chain". [53] Despite this, however, the deal never materialized. [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. [53] Promoters in South America also made offers, as much as $2.5 million, and all of them were turned down by Parker; "Well, whenever I need $2.5 million I'll call you," he once said to them. 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. The two had become almost strangers, and false reports in the media suggested that Presley's contract was up for sale. [15] Over the next few years, he helped Arnold secure hit songs, television appearances, and live tours. However, there were some interesting omissions from the award announcements. 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] In later years, several of Presley's inner circle would tell of how difficult it was to persuade Presley to quit the drugs. The killing happened a few streets from where the Van Kuijk family lived, and Parker had been hired to make deliveries from this and other grocery stores in the area. 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