Asked by a journalist what he would do now, Parker responded: "Why, I'll just go right on managing him! Parker appeared to be in complete control during Presley's time away, but he was worried about the outside influence that Presley might encounter in West Germany. Inc, to control Presley merchandise and keep a steady income supporting his estate. The 32nd Anniversary of Elvis' final concert in Indianapolis. [39], For the remainder of the 1960s, Presley made films that relied heavily on exotic locations and mundane songs, and he was tied into contracts that he could not escape. Elvis is signed exclusively to the Colonel. [60] In 1993, interest in Presley's enduring legend, interest that is sometimes notable for its obsessiveness, provoked Parker to remark: "I don't think I exploited Elvis as much as he's being exploited today. [14] With the Society in need of funds, Parker set about using his promotional experience to raise money and awareness for the shelter. He left the estate to his father, Vernon Presley, and Lisa Marie. Mourners recall being surprised at his wearing a Hawaiian shirt and baseball cap, smoking his trademark cigar, and purposely avoiding the casket. [37] After that, until 1968, Presley gave no live performances, and had very little contact with his fans. [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 1935, while travelling with a circus, Parker met and married 27-year-old Marie Francis Mott. [55] According to Presley's friend, Larry Geller, Parker secretly wanted the book to be published, hoping that it would help Presley realize the severity of his situation and persuade him to do something about it. ETERNAL REVENUE : Elvis' Millions Were - Los Angeles Times Colonel Tom Parker was Elvis Presley's manager for more than 20 years, and was with him when he died on August 16, 1977. . The interviews of Elvis' Parents are well worth hearing too . Memorial ID. He . Elvis Presley manager had shady past, link to murder - New York Post Following this, Presley's career declined drastically as he became increasingly reliant on prescription drugs. Published Jan. 22, 1997 | Updated Sep. 30, 2005. [26] He had even come up with the idea to market "I Hate Elvis" badges. It took a probate court to remove Parker and his 50% fee from future dealings. 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. Upon his return from the Army, Presley appeared on Frank Sinatra's television show. Colonel Tom Parker - Wikipedia [15] RCA Victor, Hank Snow's current label, also showed an interest, but they were put off by the cost of the contract. Then she was hired on as Elvis' tour secretary and traveled . In Elvis biopic, Tom Hanks plays the Tampa dogcatcher who managed the King Nor did he ever suggest onstage that he knew of the colonel's immigration issues. A large part of Tom's net worth he made from his Salary as a Colonel. According to Presley's friend, Jerry Schilling, Presley was excited about the opportunity to take on a new challenge. Presley went on to star in 27 films during the decade, including "G.I. Where'd All The Money Go? - Celebrity Net Worth Austin offered Parker the opportunity to move to Nashville, Tennessee, where music was becoming a big business, but for reasons unknown Parker turned him down. What Elvis Gets RightAnd WrongAbout the Real Colonel Tom Parker He also lost a large portion of Elvis' personal wealth. 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. [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. The Tom Hanks Tom Parker portrayal was a shocking one. [18] When the contract expired, the Memphis radio personality Bob Neal stepped in and made a deal with Phillips to become Presley's manager. The Amazing Comeback Of Colonel Tom Parker - Elvis History Blog Due to his years of excessive spending and being bilked by his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis' estate was . He then re-enlisted at Fort Barrancas in Florida. Colonel Tom Parker's Lack of Money. Returning to music, he began managing such singers as Eddy Arnold and Tommy Sands. [65], Others, however, had doubts about whether they were legally married at all. [53] Streisand's production company, First Artists, offered Presley a salary of $500,000 ($2,517,934 in 2021 dollars[11]) and 10% of the profits. [1][4], At age 15, Van Kuijk moved to Rotterdam, gaining employment on boats in the port town. 26 Jun 1909. Elvis Presley: Where did the millions go? - Medium He was punished with solitary confinement, from which he emerged with a psychosis that led to him spending two months in a mental hospital,[4] and he was discharged from the Army because of his mental condition. Parker had unknowingly backed himself into a financial corner. [69] In October 1990, Parker married Loanne Miller, his secretary since 1972. The document that was signed on November 21 pertained to the record label transfer. At the time of his death in 1997, he was worth $1 million. But Col Thomas Andrew Parker - the all-American father figure - wasn't the first to discover Elvis. Elvis: Colonel Tom Parker Really Was That Bad | Den of Geek There, he worked at carnivals. What happened to Colonel Parker after Elvis died? - Quora In 1955, Parker and Memphis radio personality Bob Neal began promoting the young up-and-coming singer Elvis Presley. But the Colonel quickly got to work, starting as Elvis' advisor before they signed a contract giving him sole rights . [21] In return for a larger financial stake in the deal, Neal agreed not to renew his management contract with Presley after it expired in March 1956,[22] allowing Parker the opportunity to claim the job for himself. He also influenced his decisions to join the military and marry Priscilla, among other . What was his net worth in 2022? Parker's main role during these tours was to plan the logistics and make sure tickets were sold. Colonel Tom Parker net worth: Colonel Tom Parker was a Dutch American talent manager who had a net worth of $1 million at the time of his death in 1997. Mott passed away in late 1986 at the age of 78. After the Sinatra special, Parker decided that Presley's future lay in Hollywood. [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. 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. I said, 'Yeah, you rubbed my head.' Subsequently, Parker managed the singer's successful return to live performing, with several dates set up in Las Vegas. The Biggest Changes 'Elvis' Makes to Colonel Tom Parker's - Newsweek Here's Who Inherited Most Of Elvis Presley's Estate And - TheThings [55] Worried about the impact such details might have on his career, Presley, through his father, asked Parker to stop the publication. The Life Of Colonel Tom Parker: Elvis Presley's Manager [41] The Cadillac tour proved to be somewhat more successful than the film itself. During the 1960s, after many years of ill health, Marie began to display signs of dementia. According to Biography, Presley's father let Colonel Tom Parker have the run of things for two more years, but after the elder Presley also died in 1979, things got complicated for the manager. The world's music and pop culture changed forever when the greatest performer of them all joined . "[70], Songwriter Mac Davis recounted a similar experience where Parker rubbed his head and declared "You're going to be a star. [33] He had arranged for Presley to record five singles before his induction,[35] guaranteeing RCA Victor enough material to release over a two-year period. To hide that he was an illegal immigrant, he adopted the name Tom Parker, which was the name of the officer who interviewed him. He was one of the most influential voices in the industry. 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. Instead, he found employment as a field agent with a local animal shelter, the Hillsborough County Humane Society. 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. After Presley passed away, Parker established a licensing deal with Factors Etc. Parker was looking ahead when he persuaded Presley to sign up as a Soldier. Colonel Tom Parker acted as Presley's promoter and, then manager and promoter, for most of his career. Tt was this, rather than his entrance into the Army or the later death of Gladys, from which Presley never truly recovered and which ultimately killed him. 'Elvis' Fact or Fiction: Colonel Tom Parker Biographer on What's Real At that time Parker believed Elvis to be black. 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. [65] Unbeknown to Parker at the time, she had a second son from her first marriage, but had given him up for adoption at birth due to his disability (a club foot). He feels exploited and fires Parker on the stage during his Las Vegas show. For a time, Parker lied about his childhood, claiming to have been born in Huntington, West Virginia, in the early 1900s to explain his Dutch accent as being a Southern accent, and to have run away from home at an early age to join a circus owned by an uncle before serving in the U.S. Army prior to his involvement with being a music manager. Colonel Tom Parker Net Worth : $1 Million. [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. Colonel Tom Parker died at the age of 87 years. Meanwhile, his career began stagnating as the British Invasion took over the United States. Parker hoped that marriage would not only boost Presley's career but also possibly tame him. In 1968, Presley achieved renewed fame when he starred in the NBC television special "Elvis." [55] The book was published one year later on July 12, 1977, one month before Presley's death. What happened to Colonel Tom Parker after Elvis died? "Every entertainer should go to bed at night and pray he . Who was Colonel Tom Parker? Elvis Presley's manager played by - Smooth For his part, Parker himself died with a net worth of $1 million, or roughly . By 1980, the cost of running the estate was estimated to be as much as $500,000 a year. [44], During a closing night performance on September 3, 1973, following news that a Hilton staff member whom Presley was fond of had been fired, Presley attacked Hilton Hotels chairman Barron Hilton in a verbal rage on stage. [59] Experts in the field at the time estimated that it had potentially cost Presley millions of dollars[59] and worse for Parker, it had also potentially cost him those millions of dollars. This proved very lucrative, especially when the single for Presley's first film, Love Me Tender, sold over one million copies in advance sales. What was Colonel Tom Parker worth when he died? Parker did not appear to care if the films were good or bad but only about the profits. After Parker's death in 1997, the home was used as a law . Colonel Tom Parker's Net Worth - Personal Life, Career, Death He subsequently performed at three charity events, and then suspended his live performing until 1968. Family of Utah law student, 25, say they found out from NEWS REPORTS that he'd been shot dead by cops 'after becoming non-compliant during traffic stop because his BMW didn't have license plate' Breda, Breda Municipality, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. Tom Hanks describes the larger-than-life character he portrays in the new Baz Luhrmann film, "Elvis," which opens in theaters next Friday. Parker began 1956 intending to bring his new star to the national stage. [4] During his first visit there, he traveled with a Chautauqua educational tent show, before returning briefly to the Netherlands. 'Life with you was never dull' More on The Wanted "Last Train to Memphis". 'Elvis' Ending, Explained: Was Tom Parker Responsible For The - DMT [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". In 1980, a judge ordered an investigation into Parker's management practices, finding that Parker's management had been unethical. Colonel Tom Parker was a Dutch-American talent manager and musical entrepreneur who had a net worth of $1 million at the time of his death in 1997. He also worked to maintain Presley's estate, which was estimated to have cost around $500,000 a year in upkeep. Although Parker infrequently saw Presley over the ensuing years, he remained his manager until Presley's passing in 1977. I quit! Tom Parker - IMDb [44] These live performances, as well as being financially satisfying, also allowed Parker to fulfill Presley's recording contract with RCA Victor. With Parker's help, Presley signed a recording contract with RCA Victor, leading to his commercial breakthrough in 1956 with his sixth single "Heartbreak Hotel" and propelling him to become one of the most popular and commercially successful entertainers in the world. [12] He was a successful promoter, but he wanted to move into management.[12]. Remembering Loanne Parker - Graceland After being discharged, Parker returned to carnival work, working as a carnie with Royal American Shows from 1931 to 1938. [56], In September 1978, shortly after the first anniversary of Presley's death, Parker arranged a fan festival, Always Elvis, where he, Vernon, and Presley's ex-wife Priscilla, dedicated a bronze statue of him in the lobby of the Las Vegas Hilton. In later years, Parker's influence waned, but he continued in his management role until Presley's death in 1977. By 1984, with his gambling debts reportedly rising again, he was evicted. Colonel Tom Parker was best known for being the manager of Elvis Presley. p. 258. For Presley's return in March 1960, Parker had arranged for a train to take him from Washington, D.C., to Memphis, with stops along the way for fans to see their idol in person. How much money did Elvis make during his lifetime? [41] Frank Sinatra had married Mia Farrow in 1966, and it had produced enough publicity for Parker to sit up and take notice. Parker's net worth was estimated to be $50 million as of 1977. [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. He is known for Spinout (1966), Kissin' Cousins (1964) and Jailhouse Rock (1957). In 1980, a judge ordered an investigation into Parker's management practices and found that Parker's management had been unethical. What was Colonel Tom Parker's net worth when he died? [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. Additionally, Tual determined that Parker's handling of Presley's business affairs was unethical. Phillips told them to make a separate deal with Elvis. The Amazing ComebackOf Colonel Tom Parker. But this guy is like eighty years old too old to be taught the limits of racism He probably doesn't realize how horrible a thing that was to do. You're going to be a star.'"[71]. [53] Parker turned the offer down, and Presley was overjoyed when they replied with another offer of $10 million. "There would have been no Elvis without Colonel Tom Parker; there would have been no Colonel Tom Parker without Elvis. What was Colonel Tom Parker worth when he died? Parker was still worried that Presley would return to nothing, that the public would have found a new star to fawn over by then, and that his golden goose would be reduced to nothing more than a "has-been".[35]. Tom was born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk in the Netherlands on June 26, 1909, but emigrated illegally to the United States when he was 20. [72] Priscilla Presley attended the funeral to represent the Elvis Presley Estate and gave a eulogy that, to many in the room, summed up Parker: "Elvis and the Colonel made history together, and the world is richer, better and far more interesting because of their collaboration. Fact checking the new 'Elvis' movie: Did he really fire Colonel Tom June 30, 2022. [48] (During Presley's career, except for a few concerts in Canada in 1957, he never performed outside the United States.) [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. The first major artist with whom he worked was popular crooner Gene Austin. 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 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. Tom discovered Elvis in 1955 when he was 20, but their partnership wasn't . Alanna Nash's biography of Parker, The Colonel, claims he may have been trying to avoid passport scrutiny because he might have been a suspect in a murder in Breda. [5] The case against Parker was settled out of court in 1983, with the estate paying him $2 million ($5,441,363 in 2021 dollars[11])[5] in exchange for all Presley audio recordings or visual images that he owned[4] and the termination of his involvement in any Presley related earnings for five years. [14] Parker decided against registering, possibly to prevent his previous Army record from becoming public. He suggested to Parker that, as Presley had recorded and was still performing the song "I'll Remember You" written by Kui Lee, the donations could go to the Kui Lee Cancer Fund that had been set up following the death of the songwriter in 1966. [15] The rank was honorary, since Louisiana had no organized militia, but Parker used the title throughout his life, becoming known simply as "the Colonel" to many acquaintances. [37] He allowed him to perform three live shows in 1961, all charity events, two in Memphis and one in Hawaii. Many Parker biographers, including Dirk Vellenga and Alanna Nash, have stated that Parker's gambling habit began to get out of control in the mid-1960s. Elvis Presley Net Worth at Death: Who Inherited His Estate? Salary [60] Part of this role resulted in Parker keeping the same fourth-floor suite he occupied when Presley was alive. The two had become almost strangers, and false reports in the media suggested that Presley's contract was up for sale. The contract, dated July 12, 1954, eight days after their first recording session, was signed by Presley and his parents. [52], In February 1975, during his engagement in Las Vegas, Presley, along with Parker, met with Barbra Streisand and Jon Peters. "[24], With his first RCA Victor single, "Heartbreak Hotel", in 1956,[25] Presley became a recording star. [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.