Who was Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley’s manager who allegedly stole over half of his millions? Inside their controversial connection, depicted in Baz Luhrmann’s new biopic
A gambling, circus- and cigar-loving illegal immigrant: that’s who created the buzz behind the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley. Colonel Tom Parker was the one person you’d see at Presley’s side all the time and the testy relationship between the Jailhouse Rock singer and the man who elevated him onto the throne has been brought into the spotlight with Baz Luhrmann’s recent biopic, Elvis. American actor Tom Hanks plays Presley’s former manager in the film.
So, who was the man that gave the world so much but, at the same time, took so much from the person he got everyone to adore? Meet Colonel Tom Parker, a complex man who was not all bad … but certainly not all good.
The immigrant
Parker was born in the Netherlands as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk. He was the seventh child of a delivery driver and housewife, according to Radio Times. He was an illegal immigrant when he arrived in the US in 1929 at the age of 20.
When Parker arrived in the US, he created a new identity for himself and worked as a carnival employee before becoming involved in music promotion. It was reported that despite his official title, he was never actually a colonel, and when he enlisted in the US army, he was discharged after a psychiatrist certified him a psychopath, reported The Guardian.
It has been well-documented that Presley wanted to tour Europe, but Parker always prevented that from happening because of his illegal immigrant status.
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Meeting Elvis Presley
According to Biography, Parker had learned of Presley through his associate Oscar Davis and heard his voice live at the Louisiana Hayride in 1955. Memphis radio personality Bob Neal was managing Presley at the time, before Parker took it into his own hands and catapulted the star’s career to international stardom. Radio Times reported that Neal didn’t have enough time to promote his client.
After a meeting between Parker and Presley, the colonel started to take control of some of his bookings and promotions. Presley’s contract with Neal expired and Parker became his full-time manager in 1956, becoming his sole representative and landing the rising star a new record deal with RCA Victor.
The money
It has been widely reported that the colonel took more than half of Presley’s income in return for negotiating merchandising deals, TV appearances and acting roles. He also became an adviser to the star, helping Presley make the decision to accept military service in 1958 and marry Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967.
After Presley died, Parker managed his estate but in 1980 a judge found that his management had been unethical. It was during this case that it also emerged that The King had lost out on millions in royalties because the colonel had decided not to sign him up to The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
Parker was also nicknamed “The Snowman”. According to Screen Rant, the nickname is a play on showman, with snow referring to a con or trick.
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The accent
In the Elvis movie, the colonel’s accent is prominent. According to Alanna Nash, who has written four books on Presley and one on the colonel’s relationship with the rock star, the accent was actually made to sound like the colonel had a speech impediment. He apparently found it difficult to pronounce consonants like “R”, she wrote on Vanity Fair.
Making a rock star
If there was one thing Parker knew how to do, it was to market Elvis Presley. Besides merchandise, the manager knew how to work the press to have the most sensational angles published.
According to Nash, the colonel was a master at creating controversy because he knew that made his artist more famous.
The good
Although the colonel is depicted in the Elvis movie as a sly huckster and it was eventually deemed that he had operated unethically as a manager, he did make great strides in the entertainment industry.
Nash argued that Parker reinvented American popular culture through his merchandising techniques. He landed one of the first US$1 million movie deals for a Hollywood actor and got Presley the highest-paying Vegas contract at the time.
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The death of Colonel Tom Parker
Presley’s manager died in 1997 in Las Vegas from a stroke at age 87. According to Smithsonian magazine, he had no children and his wife was more of a companion than a lover. It was never revealed who Parker really was before he arrived in the US, but in Nash’s biography, The Colonel, she believes he was “potentially a stone cold killer”.
Priscilla, Elvis’ ex-wife, attended the funeral. She said the world was “richer, better and more interesting because of their collaboration”, per Radio Times. She added, “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.”
