He was ruthless and heartless. With his first contract with RCA, Presley recorded the song Heartbreak Hotel in January 1956 and went from being a promising singer to a true rock star. Tom Hanks plays this villainy broadly with cartoonish gusto, veering somewhere between Snidely Whiplash and Sydney Greenstreet. As the press cameras clicked away, and the freshly painted Potomac gleamed in the background, the Colonel chuckled to himself. Snow was the country star who introduced the young artist to the stage. After Elviss death in 1977, the Presley family continued to own and live in the mansion. As he did not have a will when he died, the bulk of the estate fell to his only heir. An immensely talented young man ended up as a ruin of his former self, dying from heart problems connected to long-time drug abuse. Parker wanted to make Elvis clean-cut after he came back from the army in part because when Elvis went into the army, neither Elvis nor Parker thought rock 'n' roll would last. But others in the Colonels circle disagreed. Id like to think, yeah, he was running away from an aspect of his past and escaping his small town, and who among us wouldnt jump at an opportunity to do that very thing?. Arthur S. Poe is a writer based in Europe. The trust ushered in a period of renovations and improvements to the home, turning the estate into a major tourist attraction. At first, all Vellengas inquiries turned up was old tales from the Van Kuijk family, who still remembered how their Dries had been the family storyteller and liked to dress as a dandy. Before Smithsonian.com, Dash authored the award-winning blog A Blast From the Past. So I saw a different sort of Colonel Parker from how many people possibly believed he behaved. Parker initially took a 25 percent commission, which grew to 50 percent. He sat there so engrossed that he never moved, though God knows how many times hed seen it. It wound up being the A-side of what sowed the seeds of a revolution. Parker signed Elvis on March 26. According to reports, the prenuptial agreement stipulated that Priscilla Presley would receive a lump sum of $100,000 if they ever divorced. SCROLL TO TAKE THE ULTIMATE TOM JONES QUIZ - PUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST. And the spot where the murder had occurred was only a few yards away from what had been, in 1929, Parkers family home. Faced with this problem, Parker could not keep up with the pace of presentations and eventually had to allow Elvis to return to his Graceland residence, dedicating himself only to receiving his royalties from RCA but without returning to recordings. While he had a few box office misses, his best films were extremely successful. But that was very much the way he liked it. So far as the wider world knew, the Colonel was Thomas Andrew Parker, born in Huntingdon, West Virginia, some time shortly after 1900. Nash and Vellenga have their own version of events, one that they insist best fits the facts. There is some speculation this may be due to the managers hidden status as an illegal immigrant. A symbiotic relationship," Hanks added. The proceeds from these licensing agreements are typically shared with the family and some key former employees. For his part, Parker himself died with a net worth of $1 million, or roughly $1.8 million in today's money (via Dollar Times ). Parker's response: . Absolutely considering he was overweight and smoked. Parker signed a contract with RCA Records to buy Presley the recording rights to his songs for $40,000 (which included $5,000 going directly to Elvis as a premium), a considerable sum at the time. 7 million from his shows, and an estimated $2. 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 took notes, cutting out each clause in every contract which robbed him of a percentage, and working them into masterpieces of managerial tyranny. In the rest of this article, we are going to bring you everything you need to know about the story of Colonel Parkers handling of Elvis estate and income. And while he clearly did his job at creating a legend, he still held him back in his career. Colonel Tom Parker was Elvis Presleys manager throughout most of his career and was a shrewd negotiator who negotiated many of Elvis lucrative deals, from movie revenues to music sales. Vanity Fairs 2023 Hollywood Issue Welcomes You to the After-Party of Our Dreams, Inside the New Rights Next Frontier:The American West, The Strange, Sexually Charged Genesis of Gloria Swansons Legendary Memoir, King Charles Reportedly BeganEvicting Harry and MeghanAfterSpare, NetflixsMurdaugh Murders Team Say Theyve Uncovered New Crimes, Trumps Relationship With Jared and Ivanka Is About to Get a Lot More Awkward, The Cringey Sexcapades of a Horny Billionaire, What Is Cinema? And the bombastic director, as vulgar in his own way as Parker was in his, pays him little respect for his significant business acumen. Cookie Settings, Nash still believes it more likely than not that Colonel Parker was a killer, Kids Start Forgetting Early Childhood Around Age 7, Archaeologists Discover Wooden Spikes Described by Julius Caesar, 5,000-Year-Old Tavern With Food Still Inside Discovered in Iraq, Artificial Sweetener Tied to Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke, Study Finds, The Surprisingly Scientific Roots of Monkey Bars. At least one of his readers thought that question deserved an answer, and a short while later an anonymous letter was delivered to Vellengas paper. To achieve this, Parker spread news about Elviss activities, messages to his fans, superficial stories (such as the one about the haircut the artist had to undergo in his garrison), or totally false advertisements (such as the offer for Elvis to have his own television show upon his return). Parker continued to benefit even after Elviss death. Kleins reputation has been overshadowed as the man who drove the Rolling Stones into exile, and broke up the Beatles, but he didnt curb the musical enthusiasm. But according to Alanna Nashwho spent time with the real Colonel in the 90sthere were times when he was just as scary as what you see onscreen. Answer (1 of 3): Colonel Tom Parker was a carnival barker, a con man, an inveterate gambler Parker earned and stole from Elvis over 100 million dollars as Elvis manager. Did Tom Ford ever have to pay for stealing so much money from Elvis In July 1972, inspired by Richard Nixons visit to the Peoples Republic of China, Parker reported that Elvis would give a major live concert in Hawaii to be broadcast worldwide via satellite television. However, it appears that neither she nor her family ever received a financial settlement from Elvis. Rian Johnson, Halle Berry, and More Share Their Inspiration, From the Archive: The Man Who Kept Marilyns Secrets (1991), Listen toVFsLittle Gold MenPodcast for Unrivaled Awards-Season Coverage, 2023 Cond Nast. The 42 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time, The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now, Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. Is it better to be in the eye of a hurricane? Because of this fact, Parker convinced Elvis that a concert abroad would be risky for personal safety reasons, and that outside the US he would not find suitable settings for a star of his fame. Elvis and Colonel Parker each had a 727. Just present the side you want to show. You live in this bubble and youre almost frightened to escape from it because you think things will go wrong. He was 87. In November 1955 in a deal brokered by Parker, Phillips sold Elvis contract to RCA Records for $35,000. Country singer Eddy Arnold was the first to sign in 1938 and found himself giving the Colonel 25 percent of his take-home pay. A four-footed one?, I should say not. And Nash, Vellenga and every other biographer of both Presley and Parker acknowledge that the Colonel never showed much interest in women. Sam Cookes family labeled his manager, Allen Klein as a predator, sucking the money from the family long after the innovative soul singers death. The majority of Elviss reported net worth at the time of his death was comprised of royalties from record sales, publishing, film and concert tickets. Ill Let the Chips Fall Where They May: The Life and Confessions of Mob Chef David Ruggerio. He took 25 per cent which, at that time, was the industry standard., Todd claimed there was only a 50/50 split between Elvis and the Colonel when it came to licensing and merchandise, insisting: But it was never a 50/50 split on his earnings.. By the end of 1956, Elvis had generated nearly $22 million in revenue, more than any other singer that year. Originally a 13. They also still made a few appearances behind Elvis after Parker convinced the singer to join the Army in 1958 but were then completely sidelined in the early 60s. He saw the Potomac as just another snow job, as he called his art of the con. The musical interference was worse than any of Parkers usurious paperwork. Loanne, wheres that picture?. 5 million today. Mike Dash Ever adept at extracting as much money as possible from his star, Parker had licenced out the rocker's name and image to 18 companies, with 30 products on sale by September 1956. He sold Elvis hats, lipstick, sneakers,. When in January 1960 Elvis finished his military service and returned from Germany, Parker had prepared a special television program on ABC to welcome him; the show was entitled Welcome Home Elvis and featured the participation of Frank Sinatra, with Parker seeing to it that Sinatra was paid much less than Elvis, in retaliation for Sinatras earlier views against rock and roll. How much money did Colonel Parker make off Elvis? Presley lobbied for the role of Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront. The large figure of Elviss manager, standing grinning just behind his charge, made Dankers-van Kuijk jump. The concert was held in January 1973 under the name of Aloha from Hawaii and was the last great musical success for Elvis Presley, although the main drawback of the television special was the time difference between Hawaii and the cities on the east coast of the USA. At last, I want to say what was told to me 19 years ago about this Colonel Parker. I offer it only as a theory, a possibility. Then five minutes later, he would be so gentle, telling a nice soft story. In fact, Alanna Nash, an expert author who wrote several books about Elvis Presley, said to USA Today that Elvis "never would have done that" and that he actually never knew about the colonel's immigration . How much money did Colonel Parker make off Elvis? Theyre one of Hollywoods brightest starsand most troubled actors. If something troubled him too much, he was able to store it in a back corner of his consciousness, though he always had trouble keeping it there. They would always point to a particular sentence in their contract to deny him his fair share. He had a terrible temper. Parker was not good with money and was no master dealmaker. Colonel Parker Managed Elvis' Career, but Was He a Killer on the Lam? His client is still the biggest selling solo artist of all time, whitening African American gospel and blues into something that conservative 1950s middle-America could dance to, and making a fortune off it. Remembered Alan Fortas, a member of Elviss Memphis Mafia entourage: He performed a wedding ceremony on a Ferris wheel. The man had aged and grown grotesquely fat. Fontana backed Elvis on his TV appearances from January 1956 to January 1957, including the live shows for Milton Berle, Steve Allen, and the nationally star-making Ed Sullivan broadcasts. 8-acre property, Elvis purchased the estate for $102,500 from Ruth Brown in 1957. The Colonel waged war against his most loyal soldier. His merchandising alone grossed over $22 million by the end of 1957. press conference at the Cannes Film Festival, Elvis tone down the sexual innuendo in his cover, How the Elvis 68 Comeback Special Happened Despite Colonel Parker, Elvis Presleys 68 Comeback Special Revealed a Past Sin, The Beatles and India Doc Captures More Than One Spiritual Journey, The Beatles: A Hard Days Night is Still The Greatest Jukebox Movie Ever Made, Shazam! Elvis Presleys daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited his entire estate. Thomas Andrew Parkers real name was Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk. Elvis Presley: SURPRISING revelation from Vernons office at Graceland, John Lennon: Why Elvis Presley hated The Beatles star, Elvis Thats the Way It Is release date: When is Elvis documentary out. The Foundation is funded by royalties from Elviss music and proceeds from licensing agreements. Colonel Tom Parker at Elvis's grave. The result was a show titled Elvis, taped at the NBC studios. There, in Parkers hometown, a journalist named Dirk Vellenga got a tipit was Do you know that Tom Parker comes from Breda? Details of Van Kuijks childhood in Breda eventually emerged a few years later, but only in Its Elvis Time, a small-circulation Dutch fan magazine. He told Express.co.uk the rock n roll icon wasnt as showbiz as fans might expect from his public persona. His expertise varies from Alfred Hitchcock movies to Bleach, as he has explored a lot of fictional Universes and authors. From the middle of 1973, Elvis began to gain weight rapidly, and began his addiction to tranquilizing drugs, to the point that they prevented his live performances where he was sometimes unable to sing or mumbled the lyrics of his songs. The Colonel always was a mystery. He went with Parker to meet Elvis mother, Gladys (Helen Thomson in the movie), to get her approval of the contract, which was presented as including Snows Jamboree Attractions. Parker also strongly objected to Elvis recording songs in West Germany (where his garrison was stationed) to prevent Elvis from getting another manager there and fought to maintain public interest in Elvis during his time in the army. Up until that time, the Memphis radio personality Bob Neal and guitarist Scotty Moore were acting as Presleys personal managers. Colonel Tom Parker, Elviss manager from 1955 to his death in 1977, earned an estimated $50 million from the singers estate. He died in 1997 at the age of 87. What Was Colonel Tom Parker's Net Worth When He Died? Express. February 24, 2012 Colonel Tom Parkerthe title was awarded to him by Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis in 1948 for political services renderedclaimed until 1982 to have been born in West. Did Elvis Really Fire Colonel Parker? He got the honorary title from a country singer named Jimmie Davis in exchange for working on the campaign which helped get him elected Governor of Louisiana. 5 million. According to the New York Times, Lisa Marie inherited the bulk of Elvis estate, amounting to a 75% inheritance, while his father and grandmother split the remaining 25%. But all that success in the kitchen belied the double life he was leading as a rank-and-file member of the Mob. Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis's manager from 1955 to his death in 1977, earned an estimated $50 million from the singer's estate. The Colonel was even against the reunion which made the Elvis 68 Comeback Special so special. It is unclear whether or not Priscilla actually received the full $100,000 stipulated in the prenuptial agreement, as records related to the settlement are not public. Her other sources of income come from royalties, endorsement deals, and investments in films, production companies, and real estate. After all, the Alien Registration Act of 1940 had offered an effective amnesty to all illegals, and when Elvis made it big his manager made plenty of powerful new friends. READ MORE: VIDEO REVEALS SECRET ABOUT ELVIS PRESLEY'S JUMPSUITS. A "colonel" in honorary terms only, he was a shrewd, showman-like figure who learned how to sell an act by working for carnivals; he often referred to Presley as "my attraction." He understood. A guide to the hidden references in this buzzy anthologys new episodes, from first-season callbacks to what, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodwards Daughters Appreciated the Fuck Hut Detail Too. He was 87 years old when he died. How much money did Elvis make during his lifetime? He also staged the first live international solo concert via satellite with Elviss Aloha from Hawaii special in 1973. He contributed to Altvariety, Chiseler, Smashpipe, and other magazines. Hanks, on the other hand, never disappears into the role of Parker. There is still money to be made even more so that he is dead. Yeah, Hanks said at Cannes The amount of ways that Parker cheated people out of nickels and dimes, and dollars is extraordinary. Similarly, Viva Las Vegas, his 1964 musical, grossed around $9. In other words, if thats not what happened back in Holland, something equally awful did.. 7 mo I believe, not much money left. For the most part that was not a problem, because Parker had showmans instincts and enjoyed publicity. Presley, as it turned out, was managed by Parker alone. Forget the monetary malfeasance, Parker curbed the art. Dineke Dekkers. His real name was Andreas van KuijkDries (pronounced Drees) to his familyand as far as anyone could tell, he changed it to Tom Parker because that was the name of the officer who interviewed him when he signed up for the Army. How often should I get my ears professionally cleaned. The Biggest Changes 'Elvis' Makes to Colonel Tom Parker's - Newsweek So, in the Elvis movie, there's a scene where Elvis fires Colonel Parker on stage in Las Vegas. With them was actor Danny Thomas, there on behalf of St. Jude, the Memphis research hospital Thomas had founded to help find cures for catastrophic childhood diseases. He was a carny to the last, even if for one second, unlike with FDRs old Potomac, he had presented the side he never wanted to show. Instead, Priscilla later opened a major beauty supply franchise in Las Vegas, which provided her a consistent source of income. In 1932, he had gone absent without leave and served several months in military prison for desertion. Simultaneously, Parker had decided for many years to cut costs for his client by preventing Elvis from embarking on concert tours or mass contact with his fans. 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 had returned from his visit to the Colonel so remarkably tight-lipped. But the Colonel trusted no one. Baz Luhrmanns Elvis stars Austin Butler as the hip-swiveling titular hound dog and Tom Hanks as his manager Colonel Tom Parker. Why bother to paint both sides? 4 million from his movies, $4. 3. He hadnt talked much about personal matters, Nash reports, beyond mentioning that he had painted sparrows yellow and sold them as canaries. On October 30, 1957, the day after the second of two Elvis shows at the Pan-Pacific Auditorium, Variety ran the headline, L.A. He sold the rights to Presleys early recordings, gave away the rights to the master recordings, lost royalties after he negotiated Elvis seven-year contract with RCA Records in 1973, and squandered his own fortune to a gambling habit. The Beatles were managing themselves by that time and had produced their own film while Epstein was still alive. Elvis in a movie still, circa 1957 Photo by Michael Ochs . Who was Colonel Tom Parker and what happened between him and Elvis The Mechanical Licensing Collective then handles mechanical royalties for all of the songs, and Elvis Presleys heirs benefit from both a share of the master royalties and a larger share of the publishing royalties. Was he a cheap crook that played fast and loose? Asked what the King was really like away from the cameras and stage lights, he said: I would imagine he lived for the stage and got very little in his personal life.