[54], In July 1976, three of Presley's personal bodyguards and members of the "Memphis Mafia", Robert Gene "Red" West, his cousin Sonny West and David Hebler, were fired by Vernon Presley and decided to write a tell-all book about their life in his inner circle, Elvis: What Happened? [49] The album was released simultaneously around the world, and went to number 1 on the US charts, the first Presley album to do so since the Roustabout soundtrack, in 1964. [16] He suggested to Sholes that Sands could record material similar to Presley's style. He said 'Did I really?' During this part of Presley's career, Parker and Presley agreed to a 50/50 "partnership", which, with Parker controlling merchandising and other non-music related items, resulted in Parker earning more than his client. Presley went on to star in "Love Me Tender," which spawned his eponymous hit single. There, he worked at carnivals. After all the money he took from Elvis???? In 1958, Presley received his draft notice from the US Army. [50] Presley's main doctor, George C. Nichopoulos, would often replace Presley's medication with placebos in an attempt to wean him off the drugs. [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. [15] RCA made it clear it were unwilling to go above $25,000 for a practically unknown singer,[15] but Parker persuaded them that Presley was no ordinary unknown singer. [72], His funeral was held at the Hilton Hotel and was attended by a handful of friends and former associates, including Eddy Arnold and Sam Phillips. [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. At that time Parker believed Elvis to be black. According to Presley's biographer Peter Guralnick, Presley and Parker "were really like, in a sense, a married couple, who started out with great love, loyalty, respect that lasted for a considerable period of time, and went through a number of stages until, towards the end of Presley's life, they should have walked away. Instead, he found employment as a field agent with a local animal shelter, the Hillsborough County Humane Society. [48] (During Presley's career, except for a few concerts in Canada in 1957, he never performed outside the United States.) [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. and he died worth only US$1,000,000. 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. After a lifetime of earning well over $100 million managing Elvis, The Colonel's estate was barely worth $1 million upon his death. Parker, 33, died in March, surrounded by his family and bandmates, 17 months after he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. This proved very lucrative, especially when the single for Presley's first film, Love Me Tender, sold over one million copies in advance sales. Answering Presley's desire to appear in films, Parker was able to secure him a seven-picture contract with Paramount Pictures. "No, he never would have done that," Nash says. [34] He was upset about the possibility that would affect his career, but Parker was secretly overjoyed. [65], Others, however, had doubts about whether they were legally married at all. He feels exploited and fires Parker on the stage during his Las Vegas show. 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. However, he also continued to blow his fortune on his gambling addiction and he died heavily in debt. [4] After a lifetime that saw him earn in excess of $100 million, Parker's estate was worth barely $1 million when he died. Parker, who was born in the Netherlands, entered the United States illegally when he was 20 years old. A large part of Tom's net worth he made from his Salary as a Colonel. By the time Elvis died, the "Can't Help Falling In Love" singer's estate was in poor condition with only about $5 million. Following this, Neal chose not to renew his management contract with Presley, leaving Parker as the singer's sole manager. Luhrmann hasn't really . Elvis Was Not Nearly As Rich As You Might Guess When He Died. [15], 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 return for work Parker did on Davis's election campaign. Between 1969 and his death on Aug. 16, 1977, Presley played over 600 shows at the Hilton. He negotiated Presley's lucrative merchandising deals, TV appearances, and acting roles in films. [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". Hanks said, "I was anticipating hearing horror stories about this venal, cheap crook. 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. The interviews of Elvis' Parents are well worth hearing too . The 32nd Anniversary of Elvis' final concert in Indianapolis. This is because Elvis' manager, Colonel Tom Parker, had previously arranged a deal to sell those to RCA for $5.4 million, out of which only $1.35 million went to Elvis after Parker's 50% fee and income taxes. 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. In November, Parker and Snow persuaded RCA to buy Presley out from Sun for $40,000, and on November 21, Presley's contract was officially transferred from Sun Records to RCA Victor. 26 Jun 1909. [26] Presley said of Parker: "I don't think I would have ever been very big if it wasn't for him. Between 1969 and 1972 alone, RCA released three albums of live material. 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. Upon his return from the Army, Presley appeared on Frank Sinatra's television show. Colonel Tom Parker's Lack of Money. [55] As with all the talk about Presley touring overseas, Parker never followed through with the deal. The premises had been ransacked in search of money. [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 born in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands in June 1909 and passed away in January 1997. In January 1958 Presley received his draft notice from the United States Army. I wanted to punch him in the face. Breda, Breda Municipality, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. ", "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. 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." In 1977, Elvis died of a heart attack at only 42. [14] With the Society in need of funds, Parker set about using his promotional experience to raise money and awareness for the shelter. No, Elvis didn't fire the Colonel from the stage at Las Vegas in real life. Tom Parker caught a glimpse of the singer backstage. In addition to its considerable value, the estate of Elvis . [4] Priscilla and the Trust were prepared to let Parker continue to handle Presley's business affairs, and petitioned the court to that end. 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. Parker appeared at posthumous events honoring Presley, such as the 1993 issuing of a U.S. postage stamp with Presley's likeness. During the interview, Parker said that he was not aware that another one of his sisters, Adriana van Kuijk, had died in the Netherlands a few years before. Their's was probably the most unique artist-manager relationship ever in show business, clearly one of the most successful. Stick around for t. He also influenced his decisions to join the military and marry Priscilla, among other . [7] As a boy, he worked as a barker at carnivals in his hometown, learning many of the skills that he would require later while working in the entertainment industry. p. 258. [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. [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. [53], From 1974 onward, Presley's weight gain and prescription drug abuse became too much to be controlled. He became Presley's manager in 1955 just as . Parker's net worth was estimated to be $50 million as of 1977. While Neal was originally the singer's official manager, Parker was the one most involved in running Presley's career. As a reward, Davis gave him the honorary rank of "colonel" in the Louisiana State Militia.[2][3]. He died on Aug. 16, 1977, of a heart attack. When he was 15, Parker moved to Rotterdam, where he worked on boats. This was, with hindsight, a mistake on his part; if he had negotiated each deal separately based on the profits of the previous film, he could have received more money. Tom Hanks describes the larger-than-life character he portrays in the new Baz Luhrmann film, "Elvis," which opens in theaters next Friday. [41] The Cadillac tour proved to be somewhat more successful than the film itself. However, that was not the case since Elvis was still under contract to Bob Neal. Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it! What was Colonel Tom Parker worth when he died? In reality, Nash told USA Today that Presley would "never do that." Presley apparently never knew that Parker wasn't . [43] A breakfast reception was arranged, taking place after the media got their photographs of the couple. For his part, Parker himself died with a net worth of $1 million, or roughly . "[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. He first met the future star in 1955, when Elvis was already being managed by the guitarist in his band. [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. Parker was also afraid that any attempt to block Presley from being drafted would result in a more detailed look into his own service record. His immigration status wasn't revealed for years. Parker's main role during these tours was to plan the logistics and make sure tickets were sold. 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. Colonel Tom Parker's House. [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. 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. He also lost a big chunk of Elvis's own money. [15], Parker immediately went to work to find a new label for Presley. 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 . [36] If Parker had had any doubts about his return, they were soon gone when he witnessed the turnout along the route. [19][20] Part of Parker's role was to secure a new recording contract with a bigger label. [50] In later years, several of Presley's inner circle would tell of how difficult it was to persuade Presley to quit the drugs. [12] Despite having sold over 86 million records since 1924 and earning over $17 million, Austin's career was at a low point. Parker made his last public appearances in 1994. [14] The job not only offered him a secure wage, it also offered a rent-free apartment above the Humane Society in a remote part of West Tampa for him and his family. "[42] Parker used the argument that Presley was his only client and he was thus earning only one fee.[42]. Guralnick, Peter (1994). He left the estate to his father, Vernon Presley, and Lisa Marie. Colonel Tom Parker was Elvis Presley's manager for more than 20 years, and was with him when he died on August 16, 1977. . You're going to be a star.'"[71]. "[40], Presley had to do no more than provide RCA Victor with three albums a year,[37] and his film soundtracks did that for him. The singer was raking in cash hand over fist from these engagements, but he found them artistically . During the 1960s, after many years of ill health, Marie began to display signs of dementia. In the 60s, Mott started showing signs of dementia, causing Parker to distance himself from her and find refuge in gambling.