Parker did not appear to care if the films were good or bad but only about the profits. "That didn't come out in this country until 1981." [17] In the beginning, Presley, Moore, and the bassist Bill Black were a trio, the Blue Moon Boys. 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 . Guralnick, Peter (1994). In later years, Parker's influence waned, but he continued in his management role until Presley's death in 1977. Parker encountered Presley in 1955, and by 1956 had become his primary representative. [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. 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. No, Elvis didn't fire the Colonel from the stage at Las Vegas in real life. [50] This would be successful for a short time, but when Presley discovered the trick, he simply found himself other doctors. Between 1969 and his death on Aug. 16, 1977, Presley played over 600 shows at the Hilton. While working in the circus in 1935, Parker wed Marie Francis Mott. After a heated argument between the two, Presley told Parker he was fired. In 1980, a judge ordered an investigation into Parker's management practices and found that Parker's management had been unethical. 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. Parker decided that Las Vegas was the perfect place to do it,[41] and on May 1, 1967, the couple were married in a ceremony that lasted only eight minutes and had a handful of guests. [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. In 1980, a judge ordered an investigation into Parker's management practices, finding that Parker's management had been unethical. Little, Brown. [16] He suggested to Sholes that Sands could record material similar to Presley's style. 1. On January 20, 1997, Parker suffered a stroke, and died the following morning in a Las Vegas hospital. 4. "No, he never would have done that," Nash says. [53] First Artists, not used to such huge demands, didn't put forward a counter-offer and decided instead to offer the role, along with the original salary offer, to Kris Kristofferson, who accepted. [55] Worried about the impact such details might have on his career, Presley, through his father, asked Parker to stop the publication. Elvis was given a spot in the Louisiana Hayride, a radio show, and Colonel Parker knew that this young lad could prove to be a dark horse. He would call his flamboyant manager, Col. Tom Parker, and ask Parker to book another tour (Presley's average concert gross in the mid-'70s was $130,000 a night) or schedule another recording . 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. "[42] Parker used the argument that Presley was his only client and he was thus earning only one fee.[42]. [67] Author Alanna Nash has suggested that the couple may have simply placed their hands on a Bible and given themselves a "carny wedding".[67]. According to Presley's friend, Jerry Schilling, Presley was excited about the opportunity to take on a new challenge. 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%. 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. In 1955, Parker and Memphis radio personality Bob Neal began promoting the young up-and-coming singer Elvis Presley. The premises had been ransacked in search of money. Net Worth: $1 Million. The claim of Parker's Dutch heritage was publicly confirmed when Parker unsuccessfully tried to avert a lawsuit brought against him in 1982 by asserting in open court that he was a Dutch citizen. [16] He arranged live appearances and became something of a father figure to the then-15-year-old Sands. She said she was at home with him when he had his stroke. What was his net worth in 2022? He was best known for being the manager of Elvis Presley. He influenced Presley's personal life, including Presley's decisions to accept military service in 1958 and to marry Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967. After Parker's death in 1997, the home was used as a law . Nash said of Elvis' late manager: "The Colonel is a complicated character, and while he always took too much of Presley's money, he made some very sound decisions for him. [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". [65] However, there is no definite proof that anything other than romance led to their marriage. While the film shows Elvis firing his manager during a show after realising he's being deceived by the Colonel, this is not what happened in real life. [26] Parker, with his 25% share of profits, found ways to make money from his artist that other managers before him had never thought of. [48] The press were told that an audience of one billion was expected to tune in to see the "first entertainment special to be broadcast live around the world",[48] although Parker had not taken into account the fact that many countries, including parts of Europe and America, would not see the concert live due to the time of the broadcast. Loanne Parker, wife of Colonel Tom Parker, passed away earlier this week.Loanne had a strong connection to Las Vegas, Nevada - even though she was from southern Ohio - and she had an even stronger connection to Elvis. Presley was never one to stand up against Parker, but he knew that this TV show was his one chance at a true comeback, and with Binder backing him, Presley told Parker he was doing it "Binder's way". Snow attended the signing, thinking that Elvis had signed a management contract with Jamboree Attractions, which he owned with Parker. [58], Following Presley's death, Parker set up a licensing operation with Factors Etc. [53], From 1974 onward, Presley's weight gain and prescription drug abuse became too much to be controlled. 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. Presley went on to star in "Love Me Tender," which spawned his eponymous hit single. [37] Parker, not one to forget harsh criticism, stated that the fee would be $125,000 (equivalent to about $1,145,000 in 2021) for two songs, a total of eight minutes on screen; Sinatra himself was receiving a lower sum for the whole show,[38] but he agreed. Let's find out. [49] Sherman had read in news accounts that there was to be no charge for admittance to the concerts, a donation to charity being required instead. On January 20, 1997, Parker's wife heard a crashing sound from the living room, and when she heard no response to her calls, she went in to find him slumped over in his chair after suffering a stroke. Presley remembered the event as one of the worst moments of his career. [14] Parker decided against registering, possibly to prevent his previous Army record from becoming public. Additional Crew: Spinout. By this time, Parker was aware that Presley needed a rest from touring and the chance to deal with his prescription drug addictions. [23] Later, when Hank Snow asked Parker about the status of their contract with Presley, Parker told him: "You don't have any contract with Elvis Presley. What Tom Hanks Thinks Of His Tom Parker Role . Tom Parker had a net worth of $8 million at the time of his death. "[27][28], Parker signed a deal with Beverly Hills film merchandiser Hank Saperstein for nearly $40,000 to turn Presley into a brand name. He also influenced his decisions to join the military and marry Priscilla, among other . In reality, Nash told USA Today that Presley would "never do that." Presley apparently never knew that Parker wasn't . "[60], In 1994, a Golden Palm Star on the Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, California, was dedicated to him. [53] Yet, despite Presley's eagerness to do the shows, Parker again turned them down. Date of Birth: Jun 26, 1909 - Jan 21, 1997 (87 years old) Place of Birth: Breda, Netherlands. He wasn't a colonel and he wasn't even born in America. [56] At the funeral, he persuaded Presley's father to sign over control of Presley's career in death to him. Parker had unknowingly backed himself into a financial corner. [4] He enlisted in the United States Army a few months later, taking the name "Tom Parker" from the same name of the officer who interviewed him, to disguise the fact he was an illegal alien. The pair worked together at carnivals early on before Parker's career in management took off. [48], Aloha from Hawaii proved to be the last great moment in Presley's career. [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 when he died was $1 million. He facilitated Presley's rise to superstardom in the 50s, and also influenced his decisions to accept his military draft and to marry his wife Priscilla, among other things. [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. Colonel Tom Parker was best known as Elvis Presley's manager. Their instincts were proven right; the TV special proved an enormous hit, and the album that was released featuring performances from the special became a best-seller, but the comeback special was interrupted when Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated on June 5, 1968.