Soon, he secured Presley a record deal with RCA Victor. Later, in 1983, Parker admitted during an interview that after 1966, the income from Presley films and soundtracks was dramatically reduced. [4], In The Colonel, her 2003 biography of Parker, Alanna Nash wrote that Parker may have been a suspect or a person of interest in an unsolved murder case in Breda. To further boost his profile, Parker arranged for him to appear on such popular television programs as "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Milton Berle Show." June 30, 2022. Presley had been living with Priscilla Beaulieu, ten years his junior, for the past four years, but it had not been public knowledge. He also reportedly had as much as $30 million worth of gambling debts at various times in his life. Parker returned to the U.S . We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below. [9] He began to build up a list of contacts that would prove valuable in later years. [60] Part of this role resulted in Parker keeping the same fourth-floor suite he occupied when Presley was alive. [29] While Presley was a hit among the youth of America, the middle-aged audiences found him an oddity. Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 02:32, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Tom Parker Is Dead at 87; Controlled Presley's Career", "Colonel Parker Managed Elvis' Career, but Was He a Killer on the Lam? Colonel Parker died of a stroke on January 22, 1997, aged 87. . Following this, Presley's career declined drastically as he became increasingly reliant on prescription drugs. [68] Parker began to distance himself emotionally from her, heartbroken by her slow mental deterioration from the woman he once knew. The King supposedly earned $100 million during his limelighted lifetime, which ended 10 years ago today. [4] At age 17, he first displayed signs of wanting to run away to the United States to "make his fortune". [41] With Priscilla's father dropping heavy hints, and fear that their relationship might become public beforehand, Parker persuaded Presley that he should make an "honest woman" of her in the very near future. "[27][28], Parker signed a deal with Beverly Hills film merchandiser Hank Saperstein for nearly $40,000 to turn Presley into a brand name. The Wanted singer Tom Parker has died from a brain tumour at the age of 33. Part biography, part murder mystery and perhaps the most thoroughly researched . He died of complications from the stroke[72] the following morning at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 87. Parker was looking ahead when he persuaded Presley to sign up as a Soldier. [57], Parker set out to protect his future income. The singer was raking in cash hand over fist from these engagements, but he found them artistically . [4], "Colonel Tom Parker rubbed my head in Vegas", Eddie Murphy stated in 1989. [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. [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 show, titled "Welcome Home, Elvis", was Presley's first national television appearance since The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1957. [15] Although Neal remained Presley's official manager, Parker was becoming increasingly involved in the running of his career, and by the summer of 1955 he had become Presley's "special advisor". By 1980, the cost of running the estate was estimated to be as much as $500,000 a year. The two had become almost strangers, and false reports in the media suggested that Presley's contract was up for sale. [46] Originally planned as three performances, demand was so high that Parker decided to add a fourth performance, making Presley the first performer to sell out the venue four consecutive times. [15] Presley had been at Sun Records since the beginning of his career, but Sam Phillips, the owner of Presley's current label, was aware that to have any kind of a successful future Presley would need the backing of a much larger label. In 1980, a judge ordered an investigation into Parker's management practices and found that Parker's management had been unethical. [4] From about 1931 until 1938, he worked as a "carny" with Royal American Shows. When provided, we also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. Mourners recall being surprised at his wearing a Hawaiian shirt and baseball cap, smoking his trademark cigar, and purposely avoiding the casket. 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. However, after his re-enlistment, he went AWOL and was charged with desertion. Colonel Tom Parker was best known for being the manager of Elvis Presley. 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. 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. Tom Parker was born on 26 June 1909 in Breda, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. During this time, Parker also served as a field agent for the Hillsborough County Humane Society, helping to raise funds and awareness for its work. [19][20] Part of Parker's role was to secure a new recording contract with a bigger label. [56] At the funeral, he persuaded Presley's father to sign over control of Presley's career in death to him. Parker appeared at posthumous events honoring Presley, such as the 1993 issuing of a U.S. postage stamp with Presley's likeness. [15] As Presley was still a minor, his parents had to sign the contract with Parker on his behalf. What was Colonel Tom Parker worth when he died? [4] Although Parker had served honorably for a time, he went AWOL this time and was charged with desertion. [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. [52] Angered by this outburst, Parker declared: "You can't fire me. For two years he served in the 64th Coast Artillery at Fort Shafter in Hawaii. Even Tom Hanks thought he was an odd choice to play Elvis Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker in . "That didn't come out in this country until 1981." I said 'Yeah'. What was Colonel Tom Parker worth when he died? and he was hired as a hotel consultant for $50,000 per year (323,906 in 2021 dollars). He left the estate to his father, Vernon Presley, and Lisa Marie. Elvis Presley with manager Colonel Tom Parker as he is discharged from the Army in 1960. . [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. [54] Vernon also threatened to find a new manager if Parker wouldn't continue to tour Presley. Answer (1 of 2): The gravy train for Col. Parker ended after Elvis died, and the executor that was appointed for Lisa Marie Presley's interests began to go over Parker's deals with Elvis, was appalled, and the estate threatened to take Parker to court, and paid him 2 million dollars to end his as. Additional Crew: Spinout. By his final public appearances in 1994, Parker was suffering from a number of health problems such as gout and diabetes. 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. Colonel Tom Parker Salary Detail. With 1956 coming to a close, Parker had made Presley one of the most well-known, well-paid entertainers in the world. After a heated argument between the two, Presley told Parker he was fired. He first met the future star in 1955, when Elvis was already being managed by the guitarist in his band. But he had less than $750,000 in his savings account when he died, and his estate was valued at less than $10 million. 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. [48] Two weeks after the Las Vegas press conference Parker received a letter from Honolulu Advertiser columnist Eddie Sherman. Colonel Tom Parker was born as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk on June 26, 1909 in Breda, Netherlands as the seventh of eleven children of Adam and Maria. Blues," "Wild in the Country," "Blue Hawaii," "Viva Las Vegas," "Paradise, Hawaiian Style," "Clambake," and "Change of Habit." 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. [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. [72] By this point, he was stricken with diabetes, gout, and other health problems such that he could barely leave his own house. Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis's manager from 1955 to his death in 1977, earned an estimated $50 million from the singer's estate. [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. [55] Although Parker publicly denied these claims, he had been in talks with Peter Grant, the manager of Led Zeppelin, about the possibility of him overseeing a European tour for Presley. [16] Soon after, Sands' song "Teen-Age Crush" reached number 2 on the pop charts, eventually selling 800,000 copies. [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]. In 1973, Colonel Parker sold the master tapes for 700 of Presley's songs to RCA for $5.4 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's home (former), 409 Park Ridge Avenue, Temple Terrace, Fl. Parker hoped that marriage would not only boost Presley's career but also possibly tame him. Colonel Tom Parker's Lack of Money. 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. The truth about his early years was revealed in 1960 when one of Parker's sisters, Nel Dankers-van Kuijk, living in the Netherlands, recognized him in photographs standing next to Presley. His death certificate lists his birth name as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, his country of birth as the Netherlands, and his citizenship as American. The killing happened a few streets from where the Van Kuijk family lived, and Parker had been hired to make deliveries from this and other grocery stores in the area. 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. In 1969, she was an employee of the International Hotel when Elvis made his record-breaking performances there. When he was 15, Parker moved to Rotterdam, where he worked on boats. Tom Parker caught a glimpse of the singer backstage. I quit! [50] This would be successful for a short time, but when Presley discovered the trick, he simply found himself other doctors. I wanted to punch him in the face. Parker's net worth when he died was $1 million. He is also said to have had gambling debts of up to $30 million at different times. 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. Tom Hanks took on the role of the so-called villain. [4] It was later revealed that Presley owned 22% of the company, Parker owned 56%, and the final 22% was made up of various business associates. [51] In her book, The Colonel, she writes: "in the days before the Betty Ford Clinic, the Colonel didn't know where to take him for discreet, effective help and loathed risking the loss of work if the truth got out". [55] Worried about the impact such details might have on his career, Presley, through his father, asked Parker to stop the publication. Colonel Tom Parker's House. [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. [68] From then on, he continued living in Las Vegas, mostly avoiding contact with the press. RCA was eager for Presley to record in West Germany, but Parker insisted that it would ruin his reputation as a regular soldier if he was able to go into a recording studio. [11][10], Parker first became involved in the music industry as a music promoter in 1938, working with the popular singer Gene Austin. The 30th Anniversary of the death of Elvis' father, Vernon Presley. Parker encountered Presley in 1955, and by 1956 had become his primary representative. Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it! 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. 3. Cremated. [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). Despite earning over $100 million during his lifetime, at the time of his death Colonel Tom Parker was reportedly worth less than $1 million. He completed basic training at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia.[4]. In 1935, while travelling with a circus, Parker met and married 27-year-old Marie Francis Mott. [4] He would often spend 1214 hours at a time gambling in the casinos, betting large sums. [35] He sent Presley's friends to keep him company, arranged for business associates to watch over him while they were working in Europe, and kept in regular contact with him. [58], Following Presley's death, Parker set up a licensing operation with Factors Etc. Instead, he found employment as a field agent with a local animal shelter, the Hillsborough County Humane Society. Colonel Tom Parker was astonished to hear that Elvis Presley was a white man. "[56] Almost immediately, before even visiting Graceland, Parker traveled to New York City to meet with merchandising associates and executives with RCA Records, instructing them to prepare for a huge demand in Presley products. 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.