117 Facts About Colonel Tom Parker

1.

Colonel Tom Parker adopted a new name and claimed to have been born in the United States.

2.

Colonel Tom Parker assisted Jimmie Davis' campaign to become governor of Louisiana.

3.

Colonel Tom Parker encountered Presley in 1955, and by 1956 had become his primary representative.

4.

Colonel Tom Parker was able to receive more than half of the income from the enterprise, an unprecedented figure for a music manager.

5.

Colonel Tom Parker negotiated Presley's lucrative merchandising deals and media appearances, as well as influenced his personal life, including Presley's decisions to accept military service in 1958 and to marry Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967.

6.

Colonel Tom 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.

7.

In later years, Colonel Tom Parker's influence waned, but he continued in his management role until Presley's death in 1977.

8.

Thomas Andrew Colonel Tom Parker was born as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk on June 26,1909, in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands, and was the seventh of eleven children.

9.

Colonel Tom Parker was the son of Maria Elisabeth Ponsie and Adam van Kuijk.

10.

The killing happened a few streets from where Colonel Tom Parker's family lived, and Colonel Tom Parker had been hired to make deliveries from this and other grocery stores in the area.

11.

In May 1929, Colonel Tom Parker returned to the US and found work with carnivals owing to his previous experience in the Netherlands.

12.

Colonel Tom Parker enlisted in the United States Army a few months later, taking the name "Tom Parker" from the name of the officer who interviewed him, to disguise the fact he was an illegal alien.

13.

Colonel Tom Parker completed basic training at Fort McPherson in Georgia.

14.

Colonel Tom Parker served two years in the 64th Coast Artillery at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, and shortly afterwards re-enlisted at Fort Barrancas, Florida.

15.

Colonel Tom Parker was punished with solitary confinement, from which he emerged with a psychosis that led to him spending two months in a mental hospital.

16.

Colonel Tom Parker's condition caused him to be discharged from the army.

17.

Colonel Tom Parker began to build up a list of contacts that would prove valuable in later years.

18.

Colonel Tom Parker later said that at times they had to live on as little as $1 a week.

19.

Colonel Tom Parker first became involved in the music industry as a promoter in 1938, working with the popular crooner Gene Austin.

20.

Colonel Tom Parker found his career transition smooth, using much of his "carny" experience to sell tickets and attract crowds to Austin's concerts.

21.

Colonel Tom Parker served in the peacetime army as a precondition for taking advantage of that stipulation, but he never subsequently applied to become a citizen.

22.

Colonel Tom Parker decided against registering, possibly to prevent his previous army record from becoming public.

23.

Colonel Tom Parker found employment as a field agent with a local animal shelter, the Hillsborough County Humane Society.

24.

In 1948, Parker received the honorary rank of colonel in the Louisiana State Militia from Jimmie Davis, the governor of Louisiana and a former country singer, in gratitude for Parker's work on Davis's election campaign.

25.

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.

26.

Colonel Tom Parker arranged live appearances and became something of a father figure to the then-15-year-old Sands.

27.

Colonel Tom Parker had intended to mold Sands into the next Roy Rogers, but Sands had no interest in such a plan.

28.

However, Colonel Tom Parker remained involved in many of Arnold's live tours and demanded a buyout of $50,000 to settle their contract.

29.

In early 1955, Colonel Tom Parker became aware of a young singer, Elvis Presley.

30.

Presley had a singing style different from the current trend, and Colonel Tom Parker was immediately interested in the future of this musical style.

31.

Neal was struggling at the time to accommodate his new client's success, and in February 1955, following a meeting with Colonel Tom Parker, Presley agreed to let Colonel Tom Parker take some control of future bookings and promotions.

32.

Part of Colonel Tom Parker's role was to secure a new recording contract with a bigger label.

33.

Colonel Tom Parker immediately went to work to find a new label for Presley.

34.

RCA made it clear it was unwilling to go above $25,000 for a practically unknown singer, but Colonel Tom Parker persuaded them that Presley was no ordinary unknown singer.

35.

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.

36.

Colonel Tom Parker suggested to Sholes that Sands could record material similar to Presley's style.

37.

On March 26,1956, after Presley's management contract with Neal expired, Presley signed a contract with Colonel Tom Parker that made him his exclusive representative.

38.

Colonel Tom Parker began the year 1956 with the intent to bring his new star to the national stage.

39.

Colonel Tom Parker 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.

40.

Colonel Tom Parker signed a deal with Beverly Hills film merchandiser Hank Saperstein for nearly $40,000 to turn Presley into a brand name.

41.

Colonel Tom Parker had even come up with the idea to market "I Hate Elvis" badges.

42.

Colonel Tom Parker had booked Presley into a four-week Las Vegas engagement, misjudging the reaction of the slightly older, more reserved audiences that Las Vegas attracted.

43.

Colonel Tom Parker had expressed interest in making films when he first met Parker, and now Parker was working to make that happen.

44.

Colonel Tom Parker arranged for a screen test with Paramount Pictures, and after impressing them with Presley's acting ability, Presley was signed to a seven-picture contract.

45.

Colonel Tom Parker made sure that the contract allowed Presley the freedom to make at least one film a year with another studio, and managed to set up an office, with staff, at Paramount.

46.

Presley's acting career was originally intended to be a serious one, but after seeing a chance to cross-promote singles and albums with the films, Colonel Tom Parker persuaded Presley to sing in his films.

47.

In 1957, Parker finally managed to give Tommy Sands his big break by arranging for him to audition for and star in The Singin' Idol, a drama for NBC that was loosely based on the life and career of Presley.

48.

NBC had originally wanted Presley for the role, but Colonel Tom Parker had turned them down.

49.

Colonel Tom Parker had seen many acts come and go during his earlier years in management and felt that it would be foolish to believe that Presley, despite being Colonel Tom Parker's most successful act to date, would be any different.

50.

Presley was upset about the potential negative effect accepting the draft would have on his career, but Colonel Tom Parker was secretly overjoyed.

51.

Colonel Tom Parker was looking ahead when he persuaded Presley to sign up as a soldier.

52.

Colonel Tom Parker was afraid that any attempt to block Presley from being drafted would result in a more detailed look into Colonel Tom Parker's own service record.

53.

Colonel Tom Parker 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 shearing of Presley's iconic hairstyle.

54.

Colonel Tom Parker realized that by keeping RCA Victor, and more importantly the public, hungry for more Presley material, he would be able to negotiate a better contract when Presley returned from active service.

55.

Colonel Tom Parker had arranged for Presley to record five singles before his induction, guaranteeing RCA Victor enough material to release over two-year period.

56.

RCA was eager for Presley to record in West Germany, but Colonel Tom Parker insisted that it would ruin his reputation as a regular soldier if he was able to go into a recording studio.

57.

Colonel Tom 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.

58.

Colonel Tom Parker had declined to travel to Europe, denying that he spoke any language other than English.

59.

Colonel Tom Parker 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.

60.

Colonel Tom 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".

61.

For Presley's return in March 1960, Colonel Tom Parker had arranged for a train to take him from Washington, DC, to Memphis, with stops along the way for fans to see their idol in person.

62.

Colonel Tom Parker envisioned himself as an entertainment machine, pumping out three films and soundtracks a year, until the end of the decade.

63.

Colonel Tom Parker allowed him to perform three live shows in 1961, all charity events, two in Memphis and one in Hawaii.

64.

Colonel Tom Parker signed long-term contracts with the film studios, possibly to guarantee work and income for both him and Presley.

65.

Colonel Tom Parker did not appear to care if the films were good or bad but only about the profits.

66.

When Presley complained to him that he wanted better scripts, Colonel Tom Parker reminded him of his lavish lifestyle and that risking $1 million a year for doing practically no work was dangerous.

67.

Later, in 1983, Colonel Tom Parker admitted during an interview that after 1966, the income from Presley films and soundtracks was dramatically reduced.

68.

Frank Sinatra had married Mia Farrow in 1966, and it had provided Sinatra enough publicity for Colonel Tom Parker to sit up and take notice.

69.

Colonel Tom Parker hoped that marriage would not only boost Presley's career but possibly tame him.

70.

Colonel Tom Parker decided that Las Vegas was the perfect place to do it, and on May 1,1967, the couple were married in a ceremony that lasted only eight minutes and had a handful of guests.

71.

Originally planned as three performances, demand was so high that Colonel Tom Parker decided to add a fourth performance, making Presley the first performer to sell out the venue four consecutive times.

72.

On July 8,1972, inspired by the visit of President Richard Nixon to China a few months earlier, Colonel Tom 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".

73.

Colonel Tom Parker held another press conference on September 4,1972, in Las Vegas to confirm that the concert, now titled Aloha from Hawaii, would be broadcast on January 14,1973.

74.

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"; although, Colonel Tom 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.

75.

Two weeks after the Las Vegas press conference, Colonel Tom Parker received a letter from Honolulu Advertiser columnist Eddie Sherman.

76.

Colonel Tom Parker 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.

77.

In May 1973, in an attempt to deal with Presley's growing dependence on prescription drugs, Presley's father, Vernon, and Colonel Tom Parker attempted to cut off his supply.

78.

In Nash's book, The Colonel Tom Parker, she writes: "in the days before the Betty Ford Clinic, the Colonel Tom Parker didn't know where to take him for discreet, effective help and loathed risking the loss of work if the truth got out".

79.

Colonel Tom Parker offered RCA Records the opportunity to buy Presley's entire back catalog for $5.4 million.

80.

Colonel Tom Parker was furious, and he stormed into Presley's dressing room after the show to confront him.

81.

Colonel Tom Parker accepted that their working relationship was over and demanded that Presley pay him $2 million to end their contract; money Colonel Tom Parker claimed he was owed.

82.

Several members of Presley's band later stated that Colonel Tom Parker had no idea just how bad the situation was getting.

83.

However, other friends and members of Presley's entourage have stood by the suggestion that Colonel Tom Parker didn't want to admit there was such a problem because he didn't know how to deal with it, and he was worried about any negative publicity it would create.

84.

In February 1975, during his engagement in Las Vegas, Presley, along with Colonel Tom Parker, met with Barbra Streisand and Jon Peters.

85.

Colonel Tom Parker later claimed that Presley had asked him to make the contract so demanding so that they would not offer him the part, although many of Presley's friends have contradicted Colonel Tom Parker's statement because they had said Presley was furious at losing the role.

86.

Colonel Tom Parker turned the offer down, and Presley was overjoyed when they replied with another offer of $10 million.

87.

Yet, despite Presley's eagerness to do the shows, Colonel Tom Parker again turned them down.

88.

Presley was beginning to consider new management, with Concerts West co-founder Colonel Tom Parker Hulett being the clear favorite for the job.

89.

Colonel Tom Parker phoned Presley's father once to suggest taking time off, but Vernon Presley told him they couldn't afford to stop touring due to Presley's constant and lavish spending of money.

90.

Vernon threatened to find a new manager if Colonel Tom Parker wouldn't continue to tour Presley.

91.

Worried about the impact such details might have on his career, Presley, through his father, asked Colonel Tom Parker to stop the publication.

92.

Colonel Tom Parker made several attempts to have it stopped, but failed to do so.

93.

When Presley died on August 16,1977, one day before he was due to go out on tour, some accounts suggest Colonel Tom Parker acted as if nothing had happened.

94.

In September 1978, shortly after the first anniversary of Presley's death, Colonel Tom 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.

95.

In January 1979, it was discovered that Presley had lost out on royalties for songs on which he had been listed as an author or composer because Colonel Tom Parker had unwisely advised him not to sign up with ASCAP or its younger competitor, BMI.

96.

Experts in the field at the time estimated that it had potentially cost Presley millions of dollars and worse for Colonel Tom Parker, it had potentially cost him those millions of dollars.

97.

Priscilla and the Trust were prepared to let Colonel Tom Parker continue to handle Presley's business affairs, and petitioned the court to that end.

98.

Colonel Tom Parker noted that Parker's handling of Presley's business affairs during his lifetime, including the decision to sell off past royalties to RCA for $5.4 million in 1973, was unethical and poorly handled.

99.

Colonel Tom Parker had worked as a "consultant" for Hilton Hotels since Presley's death, with some believing he was working to pay off debts owed to the casino from his gambling during Presley's performances there.

100.

Part of this role resulted in Colonel Tom Parker keeping the same fourth-floor suite he occupied when Presley was alive.

101.

Colonel Tom Parker appeared at posthumous events honoring Presley, such as the 1993 issuing of a US postage stamp with Presley's likeness.

102.

Colonel Tom Parker became friendly with the estate again, attending special ceremonies and events in Memphis, invited by Priscilla.

103.

In 1994, following the marriage of Lisa Marie and Michael Jackson, Colonel Tom Parker stated that Presley would not have approved.

104.

Colonel Tom Parker privately acknowledged his brother and even introduced him to Presley.

105.

The claim of Colonel Tom Parker's Dutch heritage was publicly confirmed when Colonel Tom Parker unsuccessfully tried to avert a lawsuit brought against him in 1982 by asserting in open court that he was a Dutch citizen.

106.

In 1993, in one of his last media appearances, Colonel Tom Parker appeared in a television interview with Dutch TV director Jorrit van der Kooi where they spoke to each other in Dutch about the Netherlands and about Elvis Presley's life and career.

107.

In 1935, while travelling with a circus, Colonel Tom Parker met and married 27-year-old Marie Francis Mott.

108.

Some suggested that Colonel Tom Parker married Marie to disguise his illegal status in the United States; a marriage to a US citizen with a child could help him bury his past in a "ready-made family".

109.

Colonel Tom Parker began to distance himself emotionally from her, heartbroken by her slow mental deterioration from the woman he once knew.

110.

In October 1990, Colonel Tom Parker married Loanne Miller, his secretary since 1972.

111.

Many Colonel Tom Parker biographers, including Dirk Vellenga and Alanna Nash, have stated that Colonel Tom Parker's gambling habit began to get out of control in the mid-1960s.

112.

Fans and biographers alike believe that one of the main reasons Colonel Tom Parker signed Presley to a Vegas hotel in 1969 for his live comeback was to help cover losses he experienced in their casino.

113.

At the time of Presley's death in 1977, it was suspected that Colonel Tom Parker owed the Las Vegas Hilton over $30 million in gambling losses.

114.

Colonel Tom Parker said 'Well then there ain't no doubt about it.

115.

On January 20,1997, Colonel Tom 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.

116.

Colonel Tom Parker died of complications from the stroke the following morning at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 87.

117.

Colonel Tom Parker's funeral was held at the Hilton Hotel and was attended by a handful of friends and former associates, including Eddy Arnold and Sam Phillips.