He had expressed interest in making films when he first met Parker, and now Parker was working to make that happen. 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. At the time, many people predicted that he would have a long and lucrative career . He also lost a big chunk of Elvis's own money. Colonel Tom Parker died on January 21, 1997 at the age of 87. The majority of Elvis's reported net worth at the time of his death was comprised of royalties from record sales, publishing, film and concert tickets. [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. Attorney Blanchard E. Tual concluded that Parker's deal of taking 50% of the singer's profits was extortionate, as the industry standard was closer to 15-20%. Colonel Tom Parker Net in death: Despite earning more than $ 100 million during his lifetime, at the time of his death Colonel Tom Parker was worth less than $ 1 million. When critics questioned this arrangement and that Parker was exploiting Presley for more money because of greed, Presley quipped "I could have signed with East Coast Entertainment where they take 70 percent! "Colonel Tom Parker managed Elvis Presley's career from 1955 to 1977. Even Tom Hanks thought he was an odd choice to play Elvis Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker in . [61], As Presley's fame grew, people became interested in Parker as well. [62], One of Parker's brothers, Adam "Ad" van Kuijk, visited Parker once in Los Angeles in April 1961. [16] Remembering his previous experience with Sands, Sholes dismissed Sands as a viable replacement for Presley.[16]. However, when Presley signed a recording contract with Phillips, Moore and Black were excluded. Colonel Tom Parker was astonished to hear that Elvis Presley was a white man. [26] By the summer Presley had become one of the most famous new faces of the year, causing excitement among the new teenage audience and outrage among some older audiences and religious groups. On January 20, 1997, Parker's wife heard a crashing sound from the living room, and found him slumped over in his chair after having a stroke. The 30th Anniversary of the revelation to Elvis' estate that Colonel Parker was still fleecing his client. With no touring or public appearances to be made, Parker was able to keep costs to a minimum. [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. 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. The two had become almost strangers, and false reports in the media suggested that Presley's contract was up for sale. Following this, Presley's career declined drastically as he became increasingly reliant on prescription drugs. He arranged for Presley to appear on popular television shows, such as The Milton Berle Show and The Ed Sullivan Show, securing fees that made Presley the highest-paid star on television. Tom Parker. When he was 15, Parker moved to Rotterdam, where he worked on boats. What Tom Hanks Thinks Of His Tom Parker Role . and he was hired as a hotel consultant for $50,000 per year (323,906 in 2021 dollars). [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. . Colonel Tom Parker was best known as Elvis Presley 's manager. Let's find out. [36] If Parker had had any doubts about his return, they were soon gone when he witnessed the turnout along the route. To garner Presley new publicity and to help tame his wild impulses, Parker had him marry Priscilla Beaulieu, who had been living with Presley for four years already. He also influenced his decisions to join the military and marry Priscilla, among other . Colonel Tom Parker's Lack of Money. Stick around for t. And there certainly would've been no Elvis without Colonel Tom Parker.' And when he said that, I said, 'Oh . However, the music scene had radically changed. [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. [55] The book was published one year later on July 12, 1977, one month before Presley's death. When he came out, he suffered from a psychosis that led to a brief stay at a mental ward, causing him to be discharged from the Army. [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]. [16] Sholes showed little interest in Sands, but promised that he would attempt to find songs Sands might be able to record. Parker's net worth was estimated to be $50 million as of 1977. Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it! [48], Aloha from Hawaii proved to be the last great moment in Presley's career. [15] Over the next few years, he helped Arnold secure hit songs, television appearances, and live tours. 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. [15], In early 1955, Parker became aware of a young singer, Elvis Presley. His Dutch birthplace and immigrant status were not revealed for many years. [53] Despite this, however, the deal never materialized. Burial. A few years after that, he illegally entered the United States by jumping ship from the boat of his employer. This was, with hindsight, a mistake on his part; if he had negotiated each deal separately based on the profits of the previous film, he could have received more money. Colonel Tom Parker was born in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands in June 1909 and passed away in January 1997. 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. 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. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. He is known for Spinout (1966), Kissin' Cousins (1964) and Jailhouse Rock (1957). While Neal was originally the singer's official manager, Parker was the one most involved in running Presley's career. At the time of Presley's death in 1977, it was suspected that Parker owed the Las Vegas Hilton over $30 million ($134,151,565 in 2021 dollars[11]) in gambling losses. [12] He was a successful promoter, but he wanted to move into management.[12]. [33] [4] During the 1960s, with his wife's health deteriorating, and Presley's career struggling, Parker found an escape with gambling at Las Vegas casinos. . "[24], With his first RCA Victor single, "Heartbreak Hotel", in 1956,[25] Presley became a recording star. [53] They discussed the possibility of Presley's co-starring with Streisand in a remake of the film A Star Is Born. 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]. Colonel Tom Parker acted as Presley's promoter and, then manager and promoter, for most of his career. Both Priscilla and Jerry said he was a lovely man". The pair worked together at carnivals early on before Parker's career in management took off. Presley went on to star in 27 films during the decade, including "G.I. Colonel Tom Parker Salary Detail. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colonel_Tom_Parker&oldid=1141644408, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 02:32. [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". [65], Others, however, had doubts about whether they were legally married at all. Net Worth: $1 Million. [60] However, he did occasionally bother them by criticizing some decisions. [69] In October 1990, Parker married Loanne Miller, his secretary since 1972. The King of Rock 'n' Roll's only daughter inherited his iconic Graceland estate and was once married to Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage - but now she's reportedly US$16 million in debt [14], Through the fundraising, Parker headed to Tennessee to find acts to perform at his charity events,[14] among them stars such as Minnie Pearl and Eddy Arnold. In 1969, she was an employee of the International Hotel when Elvis made his record-breaking performances there. Parker believed that serving in the Army would help cure Presley of his increasing waywardness and convinced him to follow through with his draft as a normal citizen. That number is down significantly from an estimated $100 million . The show, titled "Welcome Home, Elvis", was Presley's first national television appearance since The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1957. [55] As with all the talk about Presley touring overseas, Parker never followed through with the deal. Subsequently, Parker managed the singer's successful return to live performing, with several dates set up in Las Vegas. Parker's net worth when he died was $1 million. [41] Frank Sinatra had married Mia Farrow in 1966, and it had produced enough publicity for Parker to sit up and take notice. The world's music and pop culture changed forever when the greatest performer of them all joined . His films still made money and his albums still sold well, but the profits were falling. [60], The disputes with the Presley estate did not terminate Parker's association with Presley. "Last Train to Memphis". While Presley was serving in West Germany, Parker was hard at work keeping Presley's name known to the public. [51], After the Aloha special, Parker made a deal that would later be used in court to prove that he had not acted in the best interests of Presley. Parker's main role during these tours was to plan the logistics and make sure tickets were sold. So Where'd All The Money Go??? 26 Jun 1909. Between 1969 and his death on Aug. 16, 1977, Presley played over 600 shows at the Hilton. [11][10], Parker first became involved in the music industry as a music promoter in 1938, working with the popular singer Gene Austin. 'Life with you was never dull' More on The Wanted While working in the circus in 1935, Parker wed Marie Francis Mott. [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. Little, Brown. The opposing counsel responded by presenting into evidence a copy of Parker's U.S. Army enlistment form which stated, through a legal loophole, that because Parker signed his enlistment papers under his alias "Thomas Andrew Parker" and once he took the oath by swearing allegiance to the United States of America, he unofficially renounced his Dutch citizenship, although it is claimed that he died a Dutch citizen. Elvis had just as many white influences and announced as early as seventh grade that he was going to sing at the Grand Ole Opry . The Colonel was involved in Elvis' music career from very early on. Picture: Getty Parker managed the Presley estate for the rest of his life, but he had also sold the rights to Presley's early recordings. [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. [50] However, it wasn't long before Presley was able to find other doctors to meet his demands. You're going to be a star.'"[71]. Death. [41] The Cadillac tour proved to be somewhat more successful than the film itself. [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. The singer was raking in cash hand over fist from these engagements, but he found them artistically . [49] The album was released simultaneously around the world, and went to number 1 on the US charts, the first Presley album to do so since the Roustabout soundtrack, in 1964. [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. In 1994, following the marriage of Lisa Marie and Michael Jackson, Parker stated that Presley would not have approved. Published Jan. 22, 1997 | Updated Sep. 30, 2005. By 1984, with his gambling debts reportedly rising again, he was evicted. "[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.
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