They might also have discovered that Tom Parker had never held a U.S. passportand that while he had served in the U.S. Army, he had done so as a private. Vellenga had been filing occasional updates on the Parker storythe Colonel was by far the most famous son of Bredaand found that he was building a detailed picture of what was by any standard a hasty departure. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Even when Elvis was on tour, he went to the next town, he made sure the radio, the TV were aware that Elvis was arriving, Todd continued. Rather, he admitted, I have to be honest. Parker suffered a stroke on Jan. 20, 1997 and died the next morning at a hospital in Las Vegas. Parker returned to the U.S. in 1929. In total, Elvis performed in 31 feature films throughout his career. Parker and Presley's estate squared off in another legal battle . 7 million from his shows, and an estimated $2. So where did all of Colonel Tom Parker's money go? Anna van den Enden, a 23-year-old newlywed, had been battered to death in the living quarters behind her storea greengrocers on the Bochstraat. From her greed is good heyday to her post-divorce denouement cavorting with a series of freaky Italian lovers, it was Ivana, all along, who gilded the Trump name. At last, I want to say what was told to me 19 years ago about this Colonel Parker. Elvis wanted to perform, it was his life, he said. Though rumors and allegations of Colonel Parker taking advantage of Elvis money have been circulating for years, no evidence has been found to suggest that he stole any money from the King of Rock n Roll. Hanks reportedly received a pay bump for reprising his role as Woody in the second and third films, however, with rumored salaries of $5 million and $15 million, respectively. The lack of a passport might even explain the single greatest mystery of Presleys career: why the Colonel had turned down dozens of offers, totaling millions of dollars, to have his famous client tour the world. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine Arthur S. Poe is a writer based in Europe. How much money did Tom Parker take from Elvis? 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. Parker accepted that the outing would be a return to big live performances, choosing the old television set for Elvis to film a special. Elvis abandoned the presentations to dedicate himself to acting. Since 1979, several administrators chosen by Priscilla Presley on behalf of her daughter accused Parker of having closed a lousy deal with RCA in 1973 for selling the royalties from Elvis songs prior to that year for just 5.4 million dollars, a price considered unethical when considering that precisely this contract affected the period of greatest creativity and fame of Presley. But in Luhrmanns treatment, hes Satan in a snowman sweater. Answer (1 of 4): The show must go on. Parker kept Presley on a leash from the very beginning. So far as the wider world knew, the Colonel was Thomas Andrew Parker, born in Huntingdon, West Virginia, some time shortly after 1900. Colonel Tom Parker was best known for. He had a terrible temper. Plesley), and with J, which he could pronounce as a Y (you yust missed him), as evident in the phone call he had with Canadian DJ Red Robinson. Very handsome, I lied. Moore, Black, and drummer D.J. Why bother to paint both sides? Todd said the Colonel was no worse than any other and noted his generosity with fans, saying:As far as the British fans were concerned, he was better than most managers were because he really did take time to meet the fans. Certainly the way he lived his life, for the duration of his years, suggests a secret of that kind of gravity. The Colonel never made it past the rank of private when he served in the military, his discharge papers labeled him a psychopath. I dont think that theres any doubt he killed that woman, said Lamar Fike, a member of Elvis Presleys Memphis Mafia. The Elvis Presley Fan Club president said it was easy for people to claim Colonel Parker had taken 50 per cent of Elvis earnings, as it was easy to say he had his arm up Elvis back to make him perform. After this moment of splendor, Presleys physical health went into frank decline for the next four years. Elvis Presley: RARE look at songs in King's record collection - VIDEO, Elvis Presley expert on TRAGIC truth about friendship with Tom Jones, Elvis Presley and Colonel Parker had a complex relationship over the years, Elvis Presley's manager Colonel Parker is widely reported to have taken a 50 per cent cut of his earnings. While his movies tended to gross smaller amounts than todays blockbusters, they were still highly successful given the budgets of the time. There a woman by the name of Nel Dankers-van Kuijk flicked through a copy of Rosita, a Belgian womens magazine. In those fits of rage, he was a very dangerous man, and he certainly appeared capable of killing. Moore had been with Elvis since the July 5, 1954, Sun Studios session when Presley started jumping around and acting the fool, and launched into Arthur Big Boy Crudups Thats All Right between takes. That harmed his public image and his music. He sat there so engrossed that he never moved, though God knows how many times hed seen it. Off to the side as always, his manager, "the bigbellied, strawhatted, cigarcarrying" Colonel Tom Parker, watched over him. I really dont think that there was murder in him, Todd Slaughter of the Elvis Presley Fan Club of Great Britain told Alanna Nash after knowing Parker for a quarter-century. Sam Cookes family labeled his manager, Allen Klein as a predator, sucking the money from the family long after the innovative soul singers death. When asked about the deal in 1968, the Colonel responded: Thats not true at all. 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. After the December 1968 special, Parker got Elvis to return to live performances, centering them in the newest and biggest casino in Las Vegas, while convincing Presley to raise his managers fee to almost 50% of the previous ones. The carnies job is to bring people to the glittering lights on the outside of town, promise them something theyve never experienced before, and then almost giving it to them, at a cost, Hanks told The New York Post. Furthermore, throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, Elvis was one of the most popular entertainers in the world, so many moviegoers were likely to attend his films just to see the singing and dancing of their idol. He had been born there in June 1909, the seventh child of a delivery driver and his wife. Did Elvis Really Fire Colonel Parker? He sold Elvis hats, lipstick, sneakers,. He talked about it all the time, for years.. 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. Potomac, was going to be salvaged. Baz Luhrmanns Elvis stars Austin Butler as the hip-swiveling titular hound dog and Tom Hanks as his manager Colonel Tom Parker. The last time I saw the Colonel, who peppered his office with stuffed animalsprizes from the carnivalwe were back in the Buick, and he and his wife, Loanne, were driving me to my hotel after lunch. 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. A four-footed one?, I should say not. It is a deal that severed the Presley estate from the . 7 mo I believe, not much money left. The Foundation is funded by royalties from Elviss music and proceeds from licensing agreements. The proceeds from these licensing agreements are typically shared with the family and some key former employees. Forget the monetary malfeasance, Parker curbed the art. It works when he issues a rejoinder to Hank Snow, who objects to Elviss wiggling, but his funniest line is almost lost in the hustle and bustle of the filming of Elviss 68 comeback special, sponsored by the Singer sewing machine company. But his apparent unwillingness to solve what should have been a minor problem does remain a puzzle. 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. 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. The estate also continues to generate revenue through various licensing agreements, such as merchandise and movie/television deals. He had a tail on him, and long hair, and when he would growl, it was really frightening., If that grim scenario sounds familiar, the Colonel was also a huge fan of Nightmare Alley, the 1947 drama recently remade by Guillermo del Toro. 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. The discovery left Vellenga perplexed. 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. 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. Notably, he was one of the first entertainers to enter into endorsements and merchandising deals, which helped increase his wealth even more. Clambake, a 1967 romantic comedy, brought in around $5. (It was written for his 1958 movie "King Creole.") The eight-song, half-hour set opened with . Parker, they suggest, went to van den Endens store looking for money to fund his emigration to America. He was ruthless and heartless. The only song I suggested was Are You Lonesome Tonight? I got Elvis the most money ever for an entertainer in Las Vegas. But his investigation took a much more sinister turn after he received a second tip in 1980. And its true that Parker never seems to have taken any blame. Circa 1985. : r/Elvis. 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. Elvis had a great influence on American culture through his influence on music, affect on American culture, and his legacy. He contributed to Altvariety, Chiseler, Smashpipe, and other magazines. 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. 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. You live in this bubble and youre almost frightened to escape from it because you think things will go wrong. And while Colonel Parker did not technically steal any money from Elvis, the deals he had with him were so unfair that they are certainly exploitative in nature. They established the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation in 1993, which provides financial aid to numerous charitable organizations and worthy projects. Parker went on to manage the crooner Gene Austin and country singer Hank Snow (David Wenham in the new movie), the latter of whom made some very important introductions for the young Elvis. In addition, she has various other investments, including music publishing rights and royalties, which provide additional financial returns to the estate. Some showbusiness people are always on stage; Elvis wasnt, he explained. Graceland is currently owned and operated by the Elvis Presley Trust, and is primarily a tourist attraction, with very few people living in the mansion. It was, of course, a tough trick to pull off, because the Colonels name was Tom Parker, and Tom Parker managed Elvis Presley. The Hawaiian show, like the 1968 special, was seen by 50 million viewers in the US and a total of more than a billion in the rest of the world. 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. Luhrmanns film sees Presley through the deathbed memories of the Colonel, and his accounting would claim victory. Not only did Parkers business savvy earn him millions but his personal touch with Elvis also earned him millions. In general, fans of the icon think that Colonel Parker never let Elvis fully shine. By reorganizing and extending Elviss tours, he not only made the singer more money but was able to keep the king of rock and roll an integral part of American culture. Gladys didnt trust Parker but agreed to advise Elvis to sign because she thought he was also signing with Snow. Dineke Dekkers. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. I offer it only as a theory, a possibility. Parker died in 1997 at the age of 87. He didn't sing "Trouble" at that show because he didn't know that song yet. Did Colonel Parker really steal from Elvis? He even put additional posters up, even if the venues were sold out, because what he was doing was selling Elvis. ELVIS PRESLEY and Colonel Tom Parker had a complex relationship over the years and the manager is widely reported to have taken an extortionate 50 per cent cut of all the King's earnings.. Hanks gives Parker a pan-European-cum-Nazi accent, but in real life, most people bought his story of hailing from Huntington, West Virginia, a relatively isolated area in the 50s. Parker continued to live in the same suite he had occupied at the Las Vegas Hilton, but in 1984, he was eventually evicted from the hotel when his hotel gambling debts grew too high. It is estimated that she inherited around $100 million from his estate after his death in 1977. Certainly, in 1957, Elvis had given a concert in Canada (his only appearance abroad), but this was possible because Parker did not need to present an American passport there. FTD's first new releases for 2023 with possible release date of March 6. As far as his background, I think no one knew the Colonels background. The evidence, though, remained entirely circumstantial. I think even more than Colonel Parker they realised if Elvis saw the outside world a bit more then all of a sudden he might want to be a part of it., Elvis Presley: Graceland chef reveals how to make the Elvis sandwich[VIDEO], Michael Jackson: How he REALLY reacted to Lisa Marie Presley divorce[INTERVIEW], Elvis Presley expert reveals tragic truth about star's life[EXCLUSIVE], And by keeping him confined in their own sphere I think it was detrimental, almost, to Elvis.. 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. Elvis Presley: Take the King's movie quiz - How many have you seen. The television performance was an immediate success: it not only garnered acclaim from music critics but returned Elviss name to mass popularity, even winning him new fans. Parker was not good with money and was no master dealmaker. New York: Delacorte Press, 1988. To me, personally, he was very, very nice, he said. 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. Parker noted that Elvis presence in various films was a sure source of income for many years, until the public began to react unfavorably. Did Colonel Parker ruin Elvis career? 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. The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley. Presley is quite a homemaker, Priscilla is, and Im sure she would love to have one of the machines so she could knit Elvis [a sweater].. Presley lobbied for the role of Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront. It was claimed he took 50 per cent of Elvis earnings which was not true. Parker continued to benefit even after Elviss death. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'coalitionbrewing_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_7',152,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coalitionbrewing_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');Nevertheless, Elvis assets were eventually divided among his surviving heirs: his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley; his father, Vernon Presley; and his paternal grandmother Minnie Mae Presley. While he had a few box office misses, his best films were extremely successful. Shortly thereafter, Parker accepted the need to make changes to Elviss business scheme, but he was adamantly opposed to Presleys idea of resorting to large concerts abroad, unlike what other American rockers such as Jerry Lee Lewis had done. He took the name Tom Parker when he enlisted in the Army, christening himself after the officer who interviewed him. Elsewhere in this section of the film, Parkerwho in real life had sold the network on the idea of a Christmas special so he could turn Elvis into a late-60s Bing Crosbyappears as a bumbling rube in his insistence that Elvis sing Here Comes Santa Claus. Its funny, but renders Parker ridiculous. Reports from the IRS and other sources estimate that Presley made an estimated $20 million from his music career, $1. In 1963, Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presleys audacious manager who had gotten his start selling candy apples in carnivals, read in the paper that Franklin Delano Roosevelts presidential yacht, the U.S.S. It was quiet in the car, and then he spoke. The Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham locked Keith Richards and Mick Jagger in a room and wouldnt let them out until they wrote a song. The man had aged and grown grotesquely fat. Is it better to be in the eye of a hurricane? Similarly, Viva Las Vegas, his 1964 musical, grossed around $9. He had toured with carnivals, worked with elephants and managed a palm-reading booth before finding his feet in the early 1950s as a music promoter. Elvis Presley himself chose to give Colonel Parker a large portion of his earnings. 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). His 25 percent commission from Elvis's tours and record sales alone amasses to nearly $14 million dollars, plus another $2 million for his film commissions. The Colonel made the comeback deal with NBC because his money dried up at the film studios. The only thing Epstein couldnt do for the Beatles was negotiate in their favor, losing them millions of dollars in bad copyright, recording, and merchandising deals. But that was very much the way he liked it. Indeed, Parkers brief military career had ended in ignominy. The pair split the money 50/50 and RCA legally received all of the royalty commissions from his extensive catalogue of music. You can unsubscribe at any time. But he was never inept, and he was fiercely loyal in his business dealings and determined to honor his contracts to the letter. Colonel Parker was possibly no different from that but he really did work hard for Elvis. Nash and Vellenga have their own version of events, one that they insist best fits the facts. They had the bride and groom in one car, and the bridesmaids in the next one. He so identified with that lifestyle that he sought the company of concessionaires, midway operators, and sideshow performers long after his carnival days were over. You never saw it coming. In 1932, he had gone absent without leave and served several months in military prison for desertion. So, in the Elvis movie, there's a scene where Elvis fires Colonel Parker on stage in Las Vegas. The 26-year-old turned herself in this week following a search that captivated certain corners of New York. Her other sources of income come from royalties, endorsement deals, and investments in films, production companies, and real estate. The Colonel made a joke out of both. From that date on, Parker again influenced Elvis so that he concentrated on shooting movies on an impressive scale, even making three films a year (all with Elvis in the main role), so that American theaters frequently had movies starring Presley. After that, the killer had scattered a thin layer of pepper around the body before fleeing, apparently in the hope of preventing police dogs from picking up his scent. According to reports, the prenuptial agreement stipulated that Priscilla Presley would receive a lump sum of $100,000 if they ever divorced. 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. | READ MORE. He was 87. London: Aurum 2003; Dirk Vellenga with Mick Farran. He told Express.co.uk the rock n roll icon wasnt as showbiz as fans might expect from his public persona. Express. He was a carny and Elvis was his cash cow, nothing more. We had problems going above storms because we could only go so high. This led to his admission to a mental hospital. He could only finance Elvis next movie if the singer broadcast a television special. Instead, Priscilla later opened a major beauty supply franchise in Las Vegas, which provided her a consistent source of income. He served for two years, went AWOL, got charged with desertion, and was punished with solitary confinement. Probably he had known the woman; perhaps he had even desired herand then been angered by her recent marriage. Hes always Tom Hanks, cladded up in a fat suit, prosthetic jowls, and an exaggerated nose drooping from a boiled egg of a face and pate, sometimes resembling his pal LBJ. Elvis Presley died suddenly at Graceland on August 16, 1977, and Parker tried to continue managing his estate, although he failed due to legal conflicts with the administrators of the artists estate and against Priscilla Presley, ex-wife of the singer and mother of Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter and heiress of Elvis. I think, on the whole, during Elvis career he was almost shielded from anyone else in showbusiness by management and the guys that worked for him his friends, he said. If there was, God woulda named it cash. He was also fond of saying, Spend it nowyou dont see any hearses with luggage racks on them., But in Luhrmanns film, Hanks plays it hammy and over the top. Although it took years for the story to leak out, the mystery of the Colonels origins had actually been solved as early as the spring of 1960, in the unlikely surrounds of a hairdressers salon in the Dutch town of Eindhoven. He even sold I Hate Elvis buttons. For songs published before 1978, fluctuating ownership of the copyrights and royalties is the result of a number of factors, including the original copyright registration in 1956, the Copyright Act of 1976, and the effect of legislations like the Music Modernization Act of 2018. The first thing the Colonel did was plot to get rid of Presleys original bandmates. He saw the Potomac as just another snow job, as he called his art of the con. In the 1980s, Vernon Presley, Elviss father, along with his daughter, Priscilla, who had been married to Elvis from 1967 until 1973, were living in the home. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. Upright bass player Bill Black dove right in, and Moore jammed along. Altogether, it is estimated that Colonel Parker had made $50 million from Elviss success. Presley was very serious about his music and honestly wanted to bring that to acting. Several times throughout the film, Parker as narrator, says that you, meaning the people who loved Elvis, were at the heart of Elviss fatal problems. He and I got into some violent, violent fights..