He also influenced his decisions to join the military and marry Priscilla, among other . 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. [37] After that, until 1968, Presley gave no live performances, and had very little contact with his fans. [26] With over 78 different possibilities, from charm bracelets to record players, Presley merchandise brought in $22 million by the end of 1956. [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. 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. [4] By this time, with the IRS demanding almost $15 million in taxes, the estate was facing bankruptcy. He was subsequently in "Loving You," "Jailhouse Rock," and "King Creole." He negotiated Presley's lucrative merchandising deals, TV appearances, and acting roles in films. 2023 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved. Growing up, he worked as a carnival barker in his hometown. [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. His death certificate lists his birth name as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, his country of birth as . Parker's net worth was estimated to be $50 million as of 1977. The interviews of Elvis' Parents are well worth hearing too . Colonel Tom Parker was best known for being the manager of Elvis Presley. "[70], Songwriter Mac Davis recounted a similar experience where Parker rubbed his head and declared "You're going to be a star. Meanwhile, his career began stagnating as the British Invasion took over the United States. After the Sinatra special, Parker decided that Presley's future lay in Hollywood. Later, in 1990, Parker married his longtime secretary Loanne Miller. 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". Tom Parker was born on 26 June 1909 in Breda, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. At the time of his death in 1997, he was worth $1 million. [15] Over the next few years, he helped Arnold secure hit songs, television appearances, and live tours. However, other friends and members of Presley's entourage have stood by the suggestion that Parker didn't want to admit there was such a problem because he didn't know how to deal with it, and he was also worried about any negative publicity it would create. Parker died in 1997 at the age of 87. 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. He also lost a large portion of Elvis' personal wealth. [53] Despite this, however, the deal never materialized. 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. Instead, he found employment as a field agent with a local animal shelter, the Hillsborough County Humane Society. At the time of his death, Elvis was only worth . Let's find out. [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. His origins were steeped in mystery. There, he worked at carnivals. In any case, Parker remained Presley's manager without a break until Presley's death in 1977. What was his net worth in 2022? [35] He was reportedly afraid that Presley would realize that there were other managers available prepared to sign contracts that did not require as much as 25% of his earnings. 4. [53] They discussed the possibility of Presley's co-starring with Streisand in a remake of the film A Star Is Born. With Presley serving in West Germany, Parker did everything he could to keep the singer's name on everyone's lips, as he worried that Presley would fade in the public eye. Their's was probably the most unique artist-manager relationship ever in show business, clearly one of the most successful. [13] Within a year, he had the opportunity to become a legal citizen of the United States a new law allowed illegal aliens the chance to become citizens in return for their promise to fight for the country during World War II, if required. The world's music and pop culture changed forever when the greatest performer of them all joined . [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. The next morning he died from complications of the stroke at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 87. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below. ", "Photos: Elvis Presley and Colonel Tom Parker", https://www.elvis.com.au/presley/a-new-light-on-colonel-tom-parker.shtml, "A Larger-Than-Life Look at a Larger-Than-Life Star", "Meet the Fifth (Jewish) Beatle Manager Brian Epstein", "The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies", Tom Parker collection and interviews with co workers, ED Bonja Interview Elvis Photographer - the Elvis Information Network exclusive. After a lifetime of earning well over $100 million managing Elvis, The Colonel's estate was barely worth $1 million upon his death. With 1956 coming to a close, Parker had made Presley one of the most well-known, well-paid entertainers in the world. And there certainly would've been no Elvis without Colonel Tom Parker.' And when he said that, I said, 'Oh . [64] In 1993, in one of his last media appearances, 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. In the early days of their marriage, Marie and Parker worked together in the carnivals. "[42] Parker used the argument that Presley was his only client and he was thus earning only one fee.[42]. [44] However, Presley had asked him to raise funds to pay for his upcoming divorce settlement, and Priscilla divorced Elvis in 1973. On January 20, 1997, Parker's wife heard a crashing sound from the living room, and found him slumped over in his chair after having a stroke. [33] Presley had wanted to join Special Services, allowing him the opportunity to perform while at the same time getting an easier ride than other soldiers. "[24], With his first RCA Victor single, "Heartbreak Hotel", in 1956,[25] Presley became a recording star. For his part, Parker himself died with a net worth of $1 million, or roughly $1.8 million in today's money (via Dollar Times ). 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' When he was 15, Parker moved to Rotterdam, where he worked on boats. The two had become almost strangers, and false reports in the media suggested that Presley's contract was up for sale. A few years after that, he illegally entered the United States by jumping ship from the boat of his employer. Following this, he entered the music industry as a music promoter. It was also reported that he had up to $ 30 million in gambling debts several times in his life. [19][20] Part of Parker's role was to secure a new recording contract with a bigger label. 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. [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. In 1969, she was an employee of the International Hotel when Elvis made his record-breaking performances there. In 1955, Parker and Memphis radio personality Bob Neal began promoting the young up-and-coming singer Elvis Presley. [4] He also 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. . Presley remembered the event as one of the worst moments of his career. He was best known for being the manager of Elvis Presley. [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. 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. [26] He had even come up with the idea to market "I Hate Elvis" badges. Parker, 33, died in March, surrounded by his family and bandmates, 17 months after he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. 26 Jun 1909. After a heated argument between the two, Presley told Parker he was fired. [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. [31] Parker made sure that the contract allowed Presley the freedom to make at least one film a year with another studio, and also managed to set up an office, with staff, at Paramount. In 1994, following the marriage of Lisa Marie and Michael Jackson, Parker stated that Presley would not have approved. [67] It is also recorded that Marie did not divorce her second husband until 1936, and her brother, Bitsy, recalled no ceremony of marriage between Parker and Marie. [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. [10] Parker later said that at times they had had to live on as little as $1 a week (US$20 in 2021 dollars). 2. [15] Parker and Snow eventually formed Hank Snow Enterprises and Jamboree Attractions, a successful promotional outfit for up-and-coming country singers. [36] If Parker had had any doubts about his return, they were soon gone when he witnessed the turnout along the route. [15] However, RCA Victor producer Steve Sholes was convinced that Presley's style of music would be a huge hit with the right label, and he began talks with Parker. [53] According to Parker himself, he did privately attempt to talk to his client a number of times about the matter, but allegedly every time Parker casually told Presley to quit or at least tone it down with the pill popping and binge eating, Presley would respond by telling Parker to stay out of his personal business. To garner Presley new publicity and to help tame his wild impulses, Parker had him marry Priscilla Beaulieu, who had been living with Presley for four years already. "[72] She reiterated her positive opinion to Tom Hanks in 2022 when the actor prepared to play Parker for Elvis (2022). [1], Parker was born as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk on June 26, 1909, in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands,[4] and was the seventh of eleven children.