[43], It took the energetic 1968 television special Elvis, which the Singer Company sponsored, and a subsequent series of acclaimed recording sessions in Memphis, Tennessee, that included songs such as "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto", to restore Presley's musical reputation. [citation needed] After a cold reception during his first few shows,[30] Parker cut Presley's appearance to two weeks. 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 Parker had unwisely advised him not to sign up to ASCAP or its younger competitor, BMI. . The King supposedly earned $100 million during his limelighted lifetime, which ended 10 years ago today. He negotiated Presley's lucrative merchandising deals, TV appearances, and acting roles in films. I said 'Yeah'. [16] He suggested to Sholes that Sands could record material similar to Presley's style. Parker made several attempts to have it stopped, but failed to do so. [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. [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. Little, Brown. During this time, Parker secured him long-term deals with film studios. I said, 'Yeah, you rubbed my head.' [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. 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 . After Presley passed away, Parker established a licensing deal with Factors Etc. The two had become almost strangers, and false reports in the media suggested that Presley's contract was up for sale. He was one of the most influential voices in the industry. [65] Unbeknown to Parker at the time, 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). Parker, 33, died in March, surrounded by his family and bandmates, 17 months after he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. to control the singer's merchandise. [35] All of these stories were fabrications, but it kept his name in view of the public. In 1968, Presley achieved renewed fame when he starred in the NBC television special "Elvis." 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. The Amazing ComebackOf Colonel Tom Parker. [26], In April 1956, Parker made his first mistake with Presley's career. 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. "[42] Parker used the argument that Presley was his only client and he was thus earning only one fee.[42]. He was best known for being the manager of Elvis Presley. [15], Parker and Neal worked together to promote Presley, using their own Hank Snow Tour to book him and tour him. "He fully believed the colonel's story that Parker hailed from Huntington, West Virginia; Elvis died not knowing the truth," she says. After the Sinatra special, Parker decided that Presley's future lay in Hollywood. He . 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. [33] 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. Colonel Tom Parker was a music entrepreneur, well-known for being Elvis' manager. When critics questioned this arrangement and that Parker was exploiting Presley for more money because of greed, Presley quipped "I could have signed with East Coast Entertainment where they take 70 percent! When he was 15, Parker moved to Rotterdam, where he worked on boats. Instead, he found employment as a field agent with a local animal shelter, the Hillsborough County Humane Society. In 1973, Parker had one of his greatest coups with Presley's "Aloha from Hawaii" concert, which was broadcast worldwide from Hawaii. [19][20] Part of Parker's role was to secure a new recording contract with a bigger label. [66] Some suggested that Parker married Marie to disguise his illegal status in the United States;[65] a marriage to a U.S. citizen with a child could help him bury his past in a "ready-made family". . The show, titled "Welcome Home, Elvis", was Presley's first national television appearance since The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1957. [8], In May 1929, Van Kuijk returned to the United States at age 19, finding work with carnivals due to his previous experience in the Netherlands. [60] Part of this role resulted in Parker keeping the same fourth-floor suite he occupied when Presley was alive. He died of complications from the stroke[72] the following morning at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 87. Later, in 1990, Parker married his longtime secretary Loanne Miller. In 1953 Parker bought a house in Madison, Tennessee, where Presley would visit and stay while recording. Attorney Blanchard E. Tual concluded that Parker's deal of taking 50% of the singer's profits was extortionate, as the industry standard was closer to 15-20%. [4] Priscilla and the Trust were prepared to let Parker continue to handle Presley's business affairs, and petitioned the court to that end. Elvis Presley & Colonel Parker. [4][5] Parker's final years were spent living in Las Vegas, in increasingly poor health before his death in 1997. What was Colonel Tom Parker worth when he died? [55] Worried about the impact such details might have on his career, Presley, through his father, asked Parker to stop the publication. For his part, Parker himself died with a net worth of $1 million, or roughly . [55] According to Presley's friend, Larry Geller, Parker secretly wanted the book to be published, hoping that it would help Presley realize the severity of his situation and persuade him to do something about it. I quit! For the rest of his life, Parker managed the Presley estate. Colonel Tom Parker Net Worth : $1 Million. Parker privately acknowledged his brother and even introduced him to Presley. The 30th Anniversary of the revelation to Elvis' estate that Colonel Parker was still fleecing his client. He was punished with solitary confinement, from which he emerged with a psychosis that led to him spending two months in a mental hospital,[4] and he was discharged from the Army because of his mental condition. In 1977, Elvis died of a heart attack at only 42. She said she was at home with him when he had his stroke. [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. Held at a Hilton Hotel, his funeral was attended by the likes of Sun Records boss Sam Phillips and Parker's former client . "No, he never would have done that," Nash says. [50] Author Alanna Nash suggests that one of the reasons Parker didn't do more is because he may have just not known how to handle the situation. [4] It was later revealed that Presley owned 22% of the company, Parker owned 56%, and the final 22% was made up of various business associates. [50] As well as being their employer and paying their wages, he was also their main source of access to drugs for themselves. He also reportedly had as much as $30 million worth of gambling debts at various times in his life. Parker had unknowingly backed himself into a financial corner. 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. Frank Sinatra, who had declared Presley a rock and roll disgrace in the 1950s, was keen to have him appear on his show. That's $35 million (28m) today and considerably less than what they were actually worth. They struggled to survive during the Great Depression, working short cons and traveling across the country in search of work. [4] A year later at 18, with enough money to sustain him for a short period, he entered America illegally by jumping ship from his employer's vessel. [16], Eddy Arnold fired Parker in 1953 over Parker's growing involvement with the singer Hank Snow. [68] Parker began to distance himself emotionally from her, heartbroken by her slow mental deterioration from the woman he once knew. Upon his return from the Army, Presley appeared on Frank Sinatra's television show. And the value of his estate at the time of his death in 1997? He is also said to have had gambling debts of up to $30 million at different times. What was Colonel Tom Parker worth when he died? [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 managed his career with an iron fist. Colonel Tom Parker was Elvis Presley's manager for more than 20 years, and was with him when he died on August 16, 1977. . By Alanna Nash. A few actors have tackled Parker on screen, most notably Beau Bridges in 1993s "Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold Story" and Randy Quaid in the 2005 miniseries "Elvis." By his final public appearances in 1994, Parker was suffering from a number of health problems such as gout and diabetes. He's a very smart man. "There would have been no Elvis without Colonel Tom Parker; there would have been no Colonel Tom Parker without Elvis. While Neal was originally the singer's official manager, Parker was the one most involved in running Presley's career. According to several people who knew Presley at the time, the talks with Hulett got so far along that it seemed almost inevitable the deal would be done. While the film shows Elvis firing his manager during a show after realising he's being deceived by the Colonel, this is not what happened in real life. [54] Vernon also threatened to find a new manager if Parker wouldn't continue to tour Presley. Colonel Tom Parker made more than $100 million in his lifetime, but when he died, he was reportedly worth less than $1 million. [37] For the first few years Presley's films were somewhat successful, his albums topped the charts, and any singles that were released were mostly hits. However, after his re-enlistment, he went AWOL and was charged with desertion. 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. [53] First Artists, not used to such huge demands, didn't put forward a counter-offer and decided instead to offer the role, along with the original salary offer, to Kris Kristofferson, who accepted. Colonel Tom Parker died on January 21, 1997 at the age of 87. 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. [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. 4. Elvis had just as many white influences and announced as early as seventh grade that he was going to sing at the Grand Ole Opry . He also lost a big chunk of Elvis's own money. [33] If Presley could show the world that he the same as any other young man, Parker told him, then more people would accept him and his music. By 1984, with his gambling debts reportedly rising again, he was evicted. "[70], Songwriter Mac Davis recounted a similar experience where Parker rubbed his head and declared "You're going to be a star. [65] However, there is no definite proof that anything other than romance led to their marriage. [4] He would often spend 1214 hours at a time gambling in the casinos, betting large sums. Following this, he entered the music industry as a music promoter. In any case, Parker remained Presley's manager without a break until Presley's death in 1977. [52] After nearly two weeks of trading insults back and forth, Parker and Presley decided to continue to work together. His death certificate lists his birth name as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, his country of birth as the Netherlands, and his citizenship as American. 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. Parker returned to the U.S . [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. [12] Parker, with the task of promoting Austin, found the career transition smooth, using much of his "carny" experience to sell tickets and attract the crowds. There, he worked at carnivals. [16] Soon after, Sands' song "Teen-Age Crush" reached number 2 on the pop charts, eventually selling 800,000 copies. Austin had spent much of his fortune on partying, cars, mansions, and women, and his popularity had been eclipsed by other singers, such as Bing Crosby. He was subsequently in "Loving You," "Jailhouse Rock," and "King Creole." [5] However, Judge Joseph Evans, aware that Lisa Marie Presley was still a minor, appointed attorney Blanchard E. Tual to investigate Parker's management. [4] Although Parker had served honorably for a time, he went AWOL this time and was charged with desertion. How Colonel Tom Parker built his net worth. His immigration status wasn't revealed for years. Stick around for t. A carnival worker by background, Parker moved into music promotion in 1938, working with one of the first popular crooners, Gene Austin, and then country music singers Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow, and Tommy Sands in his early career. In the 60s, Mott started showing signs of dementia, causing Parker to distance himself from her and find refuge in gambling. [15] Both Mercury Records and Columbia Records showed interest, although their initial offers were nowhere near the $40,000 requirement. [53], From 1974 onward, Presley's weight gain and prescription drug abuse became too much to be controlled. [50] However, it wasn't long before Presley was able to find other doctors to meet his demands. Colonel Tom Parker Net in death: Despite earning more than $ 100 million during his lifetime, at the time of his death Colonel Tom Parker was worth less than $ 1 million. [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". This led Parker to insist that films be made cheaply, on a strict schedule, and with as little hassle as possible. [53] Parker, who had always dealt with Presley's film contracts and viewed the offer as a starting bid to earning more money, instead asked for a salary $1 million ($5,035,869 in 2021 dollars[11]), 50% of the profits, plus another $100,000 ($503,587 in 2021 dollars[11]) for expenses, and spoke of needing to arrange details of a soundtrack deal. In 1973, Colonel Parker sold the master tapes for 700 of Presley's songs to RCA for $5.4 million. Net Worth: $1 Million; Date of Birth: Jun 26, 1909 - Jan 21, 1997 (87 years old) What happened to Tom Parker after Elvis died? Cremated. A large part of Tom's net worth he made from his Salary as a Colonel. Snow attended the signing, thinking that Elvis had signed a management contract with Jamboree Attractions, which he owned with Parker. [26] Presley said of Parker: "I don't think I would have ever been very big if it wasn't for him. "Last Train to Memphis".