[56] Other accounts suggest he slumped in his chair at his office, muttered, "Oh, dear God", and then quickly phoned Vernon Presley, where Parker advised Presley's father that his son's image needed to be protected. However, he also continued to blow his fortune on his gambling addiction and he died heavily in debt. Nor did he ever suggest onstage that he knew of the colonel's immigration issues. [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. What was Colonel Tom Parker worth when he died? For the rest of his life, Parker managed the Presley estate. Potomac, was going to be salvaged. Later, in 1983, Parker admitted during an interview that after 1966, the income from Presley films and soundtracks was dramatically reduced. Colonel Tom Parker Net Worth : $1 Million. [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. Soon, he secured Presley a record deal with RCA Victor. He then re-enlisted at Fort Barrancas in Florida. While Neal was originally the singer's official manager, Parker was the one most involved in running Presley's career. He 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. The singer was raking in cash hand over fist from these engagements, but he found them artistically . Colonel Tom Parker was a Dutch-American talent manager and music businessman. The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley by Alanna Nash Aurum 19.99, pp394. 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. What was Colonel Tom Parker's net worth when he died? In 1980, a judge ordered an investigation into Parker's management practices and found that Parker's management had been unethical. However, it would be a quiet wedding. Colonel Tom Parker made more than $100 million in his lifetime, but when he died, he was reportedly worth less than $1 million. During the week-long visit, Parker was informed by Adam van Kuijk that their mother had died three years earlier in 1958, never knowing what happened to her son after he left the Netherlands for good in 1929. Loanne was born on July 11, 1935 in Covington, Ohio to Paul E. an His origins were steeped in mystery. 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, Parker persuaded Presley to sing in his films. 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".[35]. He feels exploited and fires Parker on the stage during his Las Vegas show. It was also reported that he had up to $ 30 million in gambling debts several times in his life. [55] The book was published one year later on July 12, 1977, one month before Presley's death. Presley went on to star in 27 films during the decade, including "G.I. "There would have been no Elvis without Colonel Tom Parker; there would have been no Colonel Tom Parker without Elvis. James L. Dickerson's book "Colonel Tom Parker: The . In the early days of their marriage, Marie and Parker worked together in the carnivals. Parker made several attempts to have it stopped, but failed to do so. He died of complications from the stroke[72] the following morning at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 87. [41], On January 2, 1967, Parker re-negotiated his managerial/agent contract with Presley, persuading him to increase Parker's share from 25% to 50% on certain transactions. I quit! 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. [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 the time of his death, Elvis was only worth . Mott passed away in late 1986 at the age of 78. Their's was probably the most unique artist-manager relationship ever in show business, clearly one of the most successful. 'Life with you was never dull' More on The Wanted In reality, Nash told USA Today that Presley would "never do that." Presley apparently never knew that Parker wasn't . By the time Elvis died, the "Can't Help Falling In Love" singer's estate was in poor condition with only about $5 million. [18] According to Moore, Presley agreed to take 50 percent, with Moore and Black splitting the other 50 percent. Picture: Getty Parker managed the Presley estate for the rest of his life, but he had also sold the rights to Presley's early recordings. [citation needed], For the remainder of Presley's life, Parker saw little of him. 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. He completed basic training at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia.[4]. What was Colonel Tom Parker worth when he died? Let's find out. 21 Jan 1997 (aged 87) Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, USA. [15] As Presley was still a minor, his parents had to sign the contract with Parker on his behalf. Just the opposite. The document that was signed on November 21 pertained to the record label transfer. But Col Thomas Andrew Parker - the all-American father figure - wasn't the first to discover Elvis. [33] [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. [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. Elvis Presley shot to stardom as a rock 'n roll legend, a legacy that still continues almost 50 years after the King's death. [36] If Parker had had any doubts about his return, they were soon gone when he witnessed the turnout along the route. The first major artist with whom he worked was popular crooner Gene Austin. [4], "Colonel Tom Parker rubbed my head in Vegas", Eddie Murphy stated in 1989. 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. [15], Parker and Neal worked together to promote Presley, using their own Hank Snow Tour to book him and tour him. [14] Parker decided against registering, possibly to prevent his previous Army record from becoming public. "That didn't come out in this country until 1981." . But he had less than $750,000 in his savings account when he died, and his estate was valued at less than $10 million. "[52], Parker accepted that their working relationship was over, Parker telling them over the phone that Dr. Nick's services are no longer required, and demanded that Presley pay him $2 million to end their contract; money Parker claimed he was owed. Burial. Parker's net worth when he died was $1 million. [29], Despite this setback, Presley was still going from strength to strength. 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. Thomas Andrew Parker (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk; June 26, 1909 - January 21, 1997), commonly known as Colonel Parker, was a Dutch musical entrepreneur, best known for being Elvis Presley's manager.. Parker, who was born in the Netherlands, entered the United States illegally when he was 20 years old. In 1953 Parker bought a house in Madison, Tennessee, where Presley would visit and stay while recording. [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. Colonel Tom Parker passed away on January 21, 1997 at 87 years old.Colonel Tom Parker Net Worth. 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. 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. Parker was consequently sent to solitary confinement. During this time, Parker secured him long-term deals with film studios. Parker continued to manage the Presley estate, but he had sold the rights to Elvis's early recordings, which would have ensured a steady income. [40] These deals were sometimes so harsh on the studios that it led producer Hal Wallis to state: "I'd rather try and close a deal with the Devil. [56] Shortly afterward, he traveled to Memphis for Presley's funeral. [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. [37] Parker signed long-term contracts with the film studios,[39] possibly to guarantee work and income for both him and Presley. [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. He died on Aug. 16, 1977, of a heart attack. [11][10], Parker first became involved in the music industry as a music promoter in 1938, working with the popular singer Gene Austin. 1. The world's music and pop culture changed forever when the greatest performer of them all joined . Tt was this, rather than his entrance into the Army or the later death of Gladys, from which Presley never truly recovered and which ultimately killed him. [60], The disputes with the Presley estate did not terminate Parker's association with Presley. [12] Despite having sold over 86 million records since 1924 and earning over $17 million, Austin's career was at a low point. 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. Austin offered Parker the opportunity to move to Nashville, Tennessee, where music was becoming a big business, but for reasons unknown Parker turned him down. Tom was born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk in the Netherlands on June 26, 1909, but emigrated illegally to the United States when he was 20. 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. [15], A young singer, Tommy Sands, caught Parker's eye in 1952, and Parker immediately set about promoting him. Then she was hired on as Elvis' tour secretary and traveled . Colonel Tom Parker was born in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands in June 1909 and passed away in January 1997. But as time went on, as the Beatles began their dominance of the music charts and the worldwide phenomenon known as Beatlemania began, Presley became less significant. Col. Tom Parker dies. He also influenced his decisions to join the military and marry Priscilla, among other . Upon his return from the Army, Presley appeared on Frank Sinatra's television show. 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. [41] The Cadillac tour proved to be somewhat more successful than the film itself. However, the music scene had radically changed. 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. [5] However, Judge Joseph Evans, aware that Lisa Marie Presley was still a minor, appointed attorney Blanchard E. Tual to investigate Parker's management. [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. [50] In later years, several of Presley's inner circle would tell of how difficult it was to persuade Presley to quit the drugs. After Presley passed away, Parker established a licensing deal with Factors Etc. These four shows alone grossed $730,000 ($4,729,029 in 2021 dollars[11]). . Parker returned to the U.S . A suit between Parker and the Presley estate was settled out of court in 1983. Even Tom Hanks thought he was an odd choice to play Elvis Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker in . [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. Asked by a journalist what he would do now, Parker responded: "Why, I'll just go right on managing him!