Colonel Thomas Andrew Parker (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk; on June 26, 1909 January 21, 1997) was a Dutch talent manager and concert promoter, best known for having been the manager of Elvis Presley.

Parker was born in the Netherlands and entered the United States illegally when he was 20 years old. He adopted a new name and claimed to have been born in the United States. With a background working in carnivals, Parker moved into music promotion in 1938, working with one of the first popular crooners, Gene Austin, and country music singers Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow, and Tommy Sands. He also assisted Jimmie Davis' campaign to become governor of Louisiana, for which he was awarded the honorary rank of "colonel" in the Louisiana State Guard.

Parker encountered Presley in 1955 and by 1956 had become his manager. With Parker's help, Presley signed a recording contract with RCA Victor, which led to a commercial breakthrough in 1956 with his sixth single "Heartbreak Hotel" and a career as one of the most commercially successful entertainers in the world. Parker received more than half of the income from the enterprise, an unprecedented figure for a music manager. He negotiated Presley's lucrative merchandising deals and media appearances and is said to have influenced Presley's personal life, including his decision to accept military service in 1958 and his marriage to Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967. Parker encouraged Presley to make musical films, and they became the focus of his career during his commercial decline in the 1960s until his 1968 comeback and return to touring. Parker's influence waned in later years, but he continued in his management role until Presley died in 1977.

Parker managed the Presley estate for the rest of his life. Having previously sold the rights to Presley's early recordings to RCA he struggled to secure a steady income, and his financial situation worsened after he sustained significant gambling losses. of 11 children of Maria Elisabeth (Marie) Ponsie and Adam van Kuijk. His Catholic father, a former military man of 12 years, was working as a deliveryman for catalogues when Parker was born. He died at the age of 59 when Parker was 16. The boy ran away from home 17 times, by his later estimation.

In May 1929, aged nearly 20, Parker returned to the U.S., this time to stay. Having had previous experience in the traveling entertainment industry, he found work with carnivals and traveled with a Chautauqua educational tent show. and began building a list of contacts that would prove valuable in later years. He became involved in music promotion again, but for himself rather than the society. In 1945 Parker became Arnold's full-time manager, signed a contract for 25% of his earnings

Neal began to struggle to accommodate his new client's success, and in February 1955, following a meeting with Parker, Presley agreed to let Parker take some control of future bookings and promotions. Part of Parker's role was to secure a new recording contract with a more prominent label. In return for a more significant financial stake in the deal, Neal agreed not to renew his management contract with Presley after it expired in March 1956, allowing Parker the opportunity to claim the job for himself.

Signing Elvis (1956–1957)

On March 26, 1956, after Presley's management contract with Neal expired, Presley signed a contract making Parker his exclusive representative. 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. Elvis is signed exclusively to the Colonel."

With his first RCA Victor single, "Heartbreak Hotel", in 1956, Presley became a recording star, and Parker began bringing his new star to the national stage. 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. By the summer, Presley had become one of the most famous new faces of the year, causing excitement among the new teenage audience and outrage among some older audiences and religious groups. Presley said of Parker: "I don't think I would have ever been huge if it wasn't for him. He's a brilliant man."

Parker signed a deal with Beverly Hills film merchandiser Hank Saperstein for nearly $40,000 to turn Presley into a brand name. With over 78 different products for sale, from charm bracelets to record players, Presley merchandise brought in $22 million by the end of 1956. Parker, with his 25% share of profits, found ways to make money from his artist that other managers had never thought of, such as simultaneously selling "I Love Elvis" and "I Hate Elvis" buttons.

In April 1956, Parker made his first mistake with Presley's career. He booked Presley for a four-week engagement in Las Vegas, misjudging the potential reactions of the slightly older, more reserved audiences that Las Vegas attracted. While Presley was a hit among the youth of America, older audiences found him an oddity. Some viewed him as a clown-like figure, wiggling his hips for screams, while others found him vulgar and more suitable for late-night gentleman's clubs. After a cold reception during his first few shows, Parker cut Presley's appearance to two weeks. Presley remembered the event as one of the worst moments of his career.

Despite this setback, Presley's career continued to grow. Remembering that Presley had expressed interest in acting when they first met, Parker arranged a screen test with Paramount Pictures. The company was impressed with Presley's acting ability, and they signed Presley to a seven-picture contract. Parker ensured that the agreement 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. Presley's acting career was initially intended to be a serious one. However, Parker persuaded Presley to sing in his movies after seeing the opportunity to cross-promote singles and albums with the films. This proved very lucrative, especially when the single for Presley's first film, Love Me Tender, sold over one million copies in advance sales. By the end of 1956, Parker had made Presley one of the world's most well-known and well-paid entertainers.

In 1957, Parker finally managed to give Tommy Sands his big break by arranging for him to audition for and star in an episode of Kraft Television Theater called "The Singin' Idol". The episode's storyline was loosely based on the life and career of Presley. NBC had originally wanted Presley for the role, but Parker had turned them down. In the drama, the role of Sands was portrayed as a "twisted psychopath". Critics were very positive in their reviews of both the drama and Sands, leading to Capitol Records signing Sands within a week. Soon after, Sands' song "Teen-Age Crush" reached number 2 on the pop charts, eventually selling 800,000 copies.

Elvis in the Army (1958–1960)

Regardless of Parker and Presley's success, Parker was still struggling to believe that Presley's career would last longer than a year or two. 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 Parker's most successful act to date, would be any different. In January 1958, Presley received his draft notice from the United States Army. Presley was upset about the potential negative effect accepting the draft could have on his career, but Parker was secretly overjoyed.

Presley had been showing signs of rebellion against Parker, and Parker believed that a stint in the Army would cure him of this. Parker was looking ahead when he persuaded Presley to become a soldier. Presley had wanted to join Special Services, allowing him the opportunity to perform while at the same time getting a more leisurely ride than other soldiers. Parker, on the other hand, was fully aware that any particular treatment given to Presley would instantly be used against him in the media and by those who disliked his style of music. If Presley could show the world that he was treated the same as any other young man, Parker told him, then more people would accept him and his music. Parker was also afraid that any attempt to block Presley from being drafted would result in a more detailed look into Parker's own service record. He also realized that it would be an excellent 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.

While Presley served in West Germany, Parker appeared to be in complete control, but he was worried about the outside influences that Presley might encounter there. Parker had declined to travel to Europe to visit Presley, denying that he spoke any language other than English. He sent Presley's friends to keep him company, arranged for business associates to watch over him while working in Europe, and maintained regular contact with him. He was reportedly afraid that Presley would realize that other managers were prepared to sign contracts that did not require as much as 25% of his earnings.

Parker also worried about Presley losing his fame while he was away in the army, so Parker worked hard to keep Presley's name known to the public. He realized that by keeping RCA Victor and the public hungry for more Presley material, he could negotiate a better contract when Presley returned from active service. He had arranged for Presley to record five singles before his induction, guaranteeing RCA Victor enough material to release over two years. RCA was eager for Presley to record in West Germany. Still, Parker insisted it would ruin his reputation as a regular soldier if he could go into a recording studio. Stories appeared in the press regularly about Presley, including that he would do a live CCTV broadcast when he returned and that he had signed a deal for a series of annual television spectaculars to be broadcast across the country. All of these stories were fabrications, but they kept Presley's name in the public consciousness.

Elvis returns (1960–1965)

For Presley's return in March 1960, Parker arranged for a train to take him from Washington, D.C., to Memphis, with stops so that fans could see their idol in person. If Parker was still worried about Presley's having lost his fame, he was disabused of this notion when he witnessed the turnout along the route.

Frank Sinatra, who had declared Presley a rock and roll disgrace in the 1950s, had since become keen to have him appear on The Frank Sinatra Show. Parker, not one to forget harsh criticism, stated that the fee would be for two songs, a total of eight minutes on screen; Sinatra himself was receiving a lower sum for the whole show, but he agreed. The show, "Welcome Home, Elvis", was Presley's first national television appearance since The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1957.

After the Sinatra special, Parker decided that Presley's future lay in Hollywood. He envisioned Presley as an entertainment machine on becoming a film actor, pumping out three feature films and soundtracks a year until the decade's end. He allowed him to perform three live shows in 1961, all charity events, two in Memphis and one in Hawaii. After that, Presley gave no live performances until 1968 and had minimal contact with his fans. Parker signed long-term contracts with the Hollywood film studios, possibly to guarantee work and income for both him and Presley. This was, in 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. Throughout the 1960s, Parker continually renegotiated Presley's film contracts, often paying little attention to his client's scripts or concerns. 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."

Presley had to do no more than provide RCA Victor with three albums a year, and his film soundtracks did that for him. With no concert touring or public appearances to be made, Parker was able to keep costs to a minimum. For the first few years, Presley's films were somewhat successful, his albums topped the charts, and any singles released were mainly hits. But as time went on, Presley became less significant as the Beatles began to dominate the music charts, and the worldwide phenomenon known as Beatlemania began. Presley's films still made money, and his albums still sold well, but the profits were falling. This led Parker to insist that films be made cheaply, on a strict schedule, and with as little hassle as possible.

Dead ends (1966–1967)

For the remainder of the 1960s, Presley starred in films that relied heavily on exotic locations and mundane songs, and he was tied into contracts that he could not escape. Parker did not appear to care if the films were good or bad, but only about the profits. When Presley complained to him that he wanted better scripts, Parker reminded him of his lavish lifestyle and that risking $1 million a year for doing practically no work was dangerous. Presley's career stagnated while artists like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys dominated the charts. Later, in a 1983 interview, Parker admitted that after 1966, the income from Presley films and soundtracks had dramatically declined.

To make up for the lack of earnings, Parker arranged for Presley's gold Cadillac to go on tour. Selling it to RCA for $24,000 ($ in dollars), it was used to promote Presley's latest film, Frankie & Johnny. The Cadillac tour proved somewhat more successful than the film itself. In Houston alone in one afternoon, 40,000 people paid to see it, with one woman offering to have sex with the tour manager if he would allow her to sit in it.

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. When critics questioned this arrangement and wondered if Parker was taking advantage of Presley, Presley quipped, "I could have signed with East Coast Entertainment where they take 70%!" Parker used the argument that Presley was his only client and he was thus earning only one fee.

After the success of Presley's return to live performing in Las Vegas, Parker decided it was time for Presley to go on tour for the first time in 13 years. The tours were so financially successful that they determined Presley's workload for the remainder of his life and career. Parker's main role during these tours was planning the logistics and ensuring tickets were sold.

By 1972, Parker had managed to increase Presley's weekly wage in Las Vegas to $150,000 ($ in dollars) and secured $50,000 a year ($ in dollars) for himself as a "consultant to the hotel chain". Parker also decided that it was time for Presley to return to New York and arranged for him to perform at Madison Square Garden in June. 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. These four shows alone grossed $730,000 ($ in dollars).

On July 8, 1972, inspired by the visit of President Richard Nixon to China a few months earlier, 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 we can't play in every major city". Except for a few concerts in Canada in 1957, Presley never performed outside the United States. Parker held another press conference in Las Vegas on September 4, 1972, to confirm that the concert, now titled Aloha from Hawaii, would be broadcast on January 14, 1973. The press was 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 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. Parker received a letter from Honolulu Advertiser columnist Eddie Sherman two weeks after the Las Vegas press conference. Sherman had read in news accounts that there was to be no charge for admittance to the concerts, a donation to charity is required instead. He 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. Seeing the chance to publicize Presley's charitable nature once again, Parker eagerly agreed. The album was released simultaneously around the world and went to number 1 on the U.S. charts in 1974, the first Presley album to do so since the Roustabout soundtrack.

1973–1974

In May 1973, in an attempt to deal with Presley's growing dependence on prescription drugs, Parker and Presley's father, Vernon, attempted to cut off his drug supply. They hired private detectives to find out where the drugs were coming from and successfully stopped any more from reaching Presley.

For the remainder of Presley's life, Parker saw little of him. The two had become almost strangers, and false reports in the media suggested that Presley's contract was up for sale. 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. Despite the new rumors of Presley touring overseas, however, Parker never followed through with the deal.

1977: Presley's death

When Presley died on August 16, 1977, one day before he was due to go on tour, some accounts suggest Parker acted as if nothing had happened. Other accounts suggest he slumped in his chair at his office, muttered, "Oh, dear God", and then quickly phoned Vernon Presley and advised him that his son's image needed to be protected. This would be more in keeping with Parker's own interests.

Parker set out to protect his future income. When he was asked by a journalist what he would do now with Elvis Presley having died, Parker responded: "Why, I'll just go right on managing him!" Experts in the field at the time estimated that this mistake had potentially cost Presley millions of dollars, However, Judge Joseph Evans, aware that Lisa Marie Presley was still a minor, appointed attorney Blanchard E. Tual to investigate Parker's management.

One of Parker's brothers, Adam "Ad" van Kuijk, visited him once in Los Angeles in April 1961. Parker privately acknowledged his brother and even introduced him to Presley. During the week-long visit, Parker was informed by Adam that their mother had died three years earlier in 1958, never knowing what happened to her son Parker after he left the Netherlands for good in 1929. Adam van Kuijk later died from emphysema in 1992, never seeing or visiting Parker again.

The claim of Parker's Dutch heritage was publicly confirmed when Parker failed to avert a lawsuit brought against him in 1982 by asserting in open court that he was a Dutch citizen. 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 swore allegiance to the United States, that he had renounced his Dutch citizenship.

Marriage

In 1935, while traveling with a circus, Parker met and married a 27-year-old woman named Marie Francis Mott. Marie was one of six children, had been married twice before and had a son from her first marriage. Unbeknownst to Parker, 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. Some suggested that Parker married Marie to disguise his illegal status in the United States; a marriage to a U.S. citizen with a child could help him bury his past in a "ready-made family". There is no proof that anything other than romance led to their marriage.

Others had doubts about whether they were legally married. According to interviews given by Parker to the Associated Press many years later, he and Marie were married in Tampa, Florida during the winter of 1932, but the Florida Office of Vital Statistics has no record of such a marriage between a couple with those names at any time between 1927 and 1946. 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. Author Alanna Nash has suggested that the couple may have simply placed their hands on a Bible and given themselves a "carny wedding".

In the early days of their marriage, Marie and Parker worked together in the carnivals. As Parker's management career began to take off, Marie became more of a housewife, although she would occasionally travel with him to various parts of the country. During the 1960s, after many years of ill health, Marie began to display signs of dementia. Parker began to distance himself emotionally from her, heartbroken by her slow mental deterioration from the woman he once knew. Marie died on November 25, 1986, of a chronic brain syndrome at age 78. In October 1990, Parker married Loanne Miller, his personal secretary since 1972. He continued living in Las Vegas, mostly avoiding contact with the press.

Gambling

Many Parker biographers, including Dirk Vellenga and Alanna Nash, have stated that Parker's gambling habit began to get out of control in the mid-1960s. During the 1960s, with his wife's health deteriorating and Presley's career struggling, Parker found an escape in gambling at Las Vegas casinos. Fans and biographers alike believe that one of the main reasons Parker signed Presley to a Vegas hotel in 1969 for his live comeback was to help cover losses at their casino. He would often spend 12–14 hours at a time gambling in the casinos, betting large sums. It is believed that Parker lost at least $1 million a year from gambling. At the time of Presley's death in 1977, it was suspected that Parker owed the Las Vegas Hilton over $30 million ($ in dollars) in gambling losses. After a lifetime that saw him earn in excess of $100 million, Parker's estate was worth barely $1 million when he died.

Songwriter Mac Davis recounted a similar experience where Parker rubbed his head and declared "You're going to be a star. You tell everybody the Colonel touched your head." Later, Davis says "He remembered me, and he said 'I told you you were going to be a star.' I said, 'Yeah, you rubbed my head.' He said 'Did I really?' I said 'Yeah'. He said 'Well then there ain't no doubt about it. You're going to be a star.'"

Death

Parker made his last public appearances in 1994. By that time, he was so stricken with diabetes, gout, and other health problems that he could barely leave his home.

On January 20, 1997, his wife heard a crash from the living room. When Parker failed to answer her calls, she went in to find him slumped in his armchair, having suffered a stroke. He died of complications from the stroke the following morning at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 87, with his wife at his bedside. On his death certificate, in addition to his name, dates of birth and death, and the cause of death, it also lists his birth name as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, his place of birth as the Netherlands, and his citizenship (albeit incorrectly) as American.

His funeral was held a few days later at the Hilton Hotel and was attended by a handful of friends and former associates, including Eddy Arnold and Sam Phillips. Priscilla Presley attended the funeral to represent the Elvis Presley Estate and gave a eulogy that, to many in the room, summed up Parker: "Elvis and the Colonel made history together, and the world is richer, better and far more interesting because of their collaboration. And now I need to locate my wallet, because I noticed there was no ticket booth on the way in here, but I'm sure that the Colonel must have arranged for some toll on the way out." She reiterated her positive opinion to Tom Hanks in 2022 when the actor prepared to play Parker for Elvis (2022). Hanks said, "I was anticipating hearing horror stories about this venal, cheap crook. Just the opposite. Both Priscilla and Jerry said he was a lovely man". According to Priscilla, Elvis was happy to pay Parker 50% of his earnings to manage him.

Film

Parker has been portrayed by:

  • Pat Hingle in Elvis (1979), the original made-for-television film, produced by Dick Clark, directed by John Carpenter, and starring Kurt Russell.
  • Hugh Gillin in the TV film Elvis and Me (1988).
  • Beau Bridges in the TV film Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold Story (1993), alongside Rob Youngblood.
  • Randy Quaid in the CBS miniseries Elvis (2005), alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley. Quaid was nominated for a Golden Globe, Emmy Award and a Satellite Award win for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie.
  • John Carroll Lynch in the film Shangri-La Suite (2016)
  • Billy Gardell in the CMT TV series Sun Records (2017). In this series Parker's connections with former clients Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow are also depicted along with his management of Presley.
  • Tom Hanks in Elvis, the 2022 film about Presley, directed by Baz Luhrmann.

Literature

  • Vivek Tiwary's The Fifth Beatle (2013), a graphic novel biography of the Beatles manager Brian Epstein, depicts a meeting between Parker and Epstein that took place in the mid-1960s. In the scene, Parker is satirically portrayed as a gluttonous, satanic figure. The scene contrasts Parker's management of Elvis with the freedom Epstein allows the Beatles. The scene also portrays Parker as antisemitic. Tiwary claimed in an interview that Parker did make those comments.

Television

  • In the TV series Vinyl, Richie Finestra (portrayed by Bobby Cannavale), president of record label American Century, meets Elvis Presley (portrayed by Shawn Klush) in 1973, in Las Vegas. Richie attempts to convince Elvis to stop singing in Las Vegas and instead focus on making new, creative music, acting like a true king. The Colonel (portrayed by Gene Jones) gets furious when he finds out Richie was going behind his back and talking about papers with Elvis and has Elvis point a gun at him.
  • In the TV series Green Acres, the character of Mr. Eustace Haney (portrayed by Pat Buttram) was inspired by Parker, whom Buttram encountered in the 1950s.

References

Sources

Further reading

  • Interview with Ed Bonja, Elvis Presley's photographer 1970-1975
  • Interview with Loanne Parker
  • Tom Parker collection and interviews with co workers
  • ED Bonja Interview Elvis Photographer - the Elvis Information Network exclusive – Interview with En Bonja, who worked directly for the Colonel as Elvis's official photographer and tour manager
  • Colonel Tom Parker's home (former), 409 Park Ridge Avenue, Temple Terrace, Fl.