However, he also continued to blow his fortune on his gambling addiction and he died heavily in debt. In 1935, while travelling with a circus, Parker met and married 27-year-old Marie Francis Mott. Compare Colonel Tom Parker's Net Worth. Elvis was given a spot in the Louisiana Hayride, a radio show, and Colonel Parker knew that this young lad could prove to be a dark horse. . [60] On the surface, however, relations between the two were as good as ever, with Parker helping the Hilton to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Presley's death. To hide that he was an illegal immigrant, he adopted the name Tom Parker, which was the name of the officer who interviewed him. 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. [4], On August 14, 1981, Judge Evans ordered Elvis Presley Enterprises to sue Parker for mismanagement. [44] At the time, Presley's back catalog was not considered very important and RCA initially calculated it at being worth much less, but in later years it would become one of the most valuable record catalogs in the music business. The claim of Parker's Dutch heritage was publicly confirmed when Parker unsuccessfully tried to avert a lawsuit brought against him in 1982 by asserting in open court that he was a Dutch citizen. But Col Thomas Andrew Parker - the all-American father figure - wasn't the first to discover Elvis. [33] He also realized that it would be a great opportunity to promote Presley by having the media witness his induction day, including the Army haircut that would see the most famous hair style in the world destroyed.[33]. [17] In the beginning, Presley, Moore, and the bassist Bill Black were a trio, the Blue Moon Boys. Following this, Neal chose not to renew his management contract with Presley, leaving Parker as the singer's sole manager. [4], Parker had worked as a "consultant" for Hilton Hotels since Presley's death,[60] with some believing he was working to pay off debts owed to the casino from his gambling during Presley's performances there. He died of complications from the stroke[72] the following morning at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 87. and he died worth only US$1,000,000. [53] Seeing it as a chance to finally be taken seriously as an actor, Presley agreed to take the role if the contracts could be worked out. Parker managed his career with an iron fist. He also worked to maintain Presley's estate, which was estimated to have cost around $500,000 a year in upkeep. [59] Due to an ill-advised agreement between Parker and Presley that gave RCA sole ownership of all his recording royalties prior to 1973, the estate was relying heavily on the income from Factors Etc. [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. What was his net worth in 2022? "[60], In 1994, a Golden Palm Star on the Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, California, was dedicated to him. Following this, he entered the music industry as a music promoter. In early 1997, he passed away from a stroke in Las Vegas at the age of 87. He said 'Did I really?' 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. 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. [68] Parker began to distance himself emotionally from her, heartbroken by her slow mental deterioration from the woman he once knew. Inc, to control Presley merchandise and keep a steady income supporting his estate. Into his late 80s, Colonel Tom Parker began to struggle with various illnesses including diabetes and gout. Colonel Tom Parker was a Dutch-American talent manager and music businessman. [4] During his first visit there, he traveled with a Chautauqua educational tent show, before returning briefly to the Netherlands. This led Parker to insist that films be made cheaply, on a strict schedule, and with as little hassle as possible. Alanna Nash's biography of Parker, The Colonel, claims he may have been trying to avoid passport scrutiny because he might have been a suspect in a murder in Breda. [14] With the Society in need of funds, Parker set about using his promotional experience to raise money and awareness for the shelter. Parker was looking ahead when he persuaded Presley to sign up as a Soldier. Colonel Tom Parker was a Dutch-American talent manager and music businessman. He wasn't a colonel and he wasn't even born in America. He had booked Presley into a four-week Las Vegas engagement, misjudging the reaction of the slightly older, more reserved audiences that Las Vegas attracted. 2. 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. Elvis Was Not Nearly As Rich As You Might Guess When He Died. [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. After Presley showed signs of rebellion again in 1966 and because of his flagging career, Parker decided that it was time for a new approach: marriage. [4], "Colonel Tom Parker rubbed my head in Vegas", Eddie Murphy stated in 1989. [37] He allowed him to perform three live shows in 1961, all charity events, two in Memphis and one in Hawaii. [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. This deed on the part of Vernon and Gladys Presley marked a permanent separation of Elvis from his mother, and as Elvis was a classic "mama's boy". The pair worked together at carnivals early on before Parker's career in management took off. [54] He phoned Presley's father once to suggest taking time off, but Vernon Presley told him they couldn't afford to stop touring due to Presley's constant and lavish spending of money. Tom Parker caught a glimpse of the singer backstage. [16] Parker had intended to mold Sands into the next Roy Rogers, but Sands had no interest in such a plan. [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. 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. Colonel Tom Parker passed away on January 21, 1997 at 87 years old.Colonel Tom Parker Net Worth. [14] In 1945, Parker became Arnold's full-time manager, signing a contract for 25% of his earnings. [39], For the remainder of the 1960s, Presley made films that relied heavily on exotic locations and mundane songs, and he was tied into contracts that he could not escape. 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. Net Worth: $1 Million. I said, 'Yeah, you rubbed my head.' Then she was hired on as Elvis' tour secretary and traveled . I said 'Yeah'. 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. It was producer Steve Binder who put forward the idea of Presley singing his old hits and even the staged section with his old band, Scotty Moore and D. J. Fontana, the latter inspired by a post-rehearsal informal jam in Presley's dressing room. According to Alanna Nash, who wrote The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and 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 . [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. [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. By the time Elvis died, the "Can't Help Falling In Love" singer's estate was in poor condition with only about $5 million. It was also reported that he had up to $ 30 million in gambling debts several times in his life. [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. The truth about his early years was revealed in 1960 when one of Parker's sisters, Nel Dankers-van Kuijk, living in the Netherlands, recognized him in photographs standing next to Presley. Their's was probably the most unique artist-manager relationship ever in show business, clearly one of the most successful. He adopted a new name and claimed to have been born in the United States. 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. Even Tom Hanks thought he was an odd choice to play Elvis Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker in . 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. There, he worked at carnivals. 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. He first met the future star in 1955, when Elvis was already being managed by the guitarist in his band. How Colonel Tom Parker built his net worth. . He was mysterious and colorful, and, under his guidance, his one and only client -- Elvis -- reached unimaginable heights. In 1968, Presley achieved renewed fame when he starred in the NBC television special "Elvis." [54] Vernon also threatened to find a new manager if Parker wouldn't continue to tour Presley. He arranged for a screen test with Paramount Pictures, and after impressing them with Presley's acting ability, Presley was signed to a seven-picture contract. [36] If Parker had had any doubts about his return, they were soon gone when he witnessed the turnout along the route. While Presley was serving in West Germany, Parker was hard at work keeping Presley's name known to the public. "Colonel Tom Parker managed Elvis Presley's career from 1955 to 1977. In addition to its considerable value, the estate of Elvis . Colonel Tom Parker passed away on January 21, 1997 at 87 years old.Colonel Tom Parker Net Worth. The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley by Alanna Nash Aurum 19.99, pp394. As a reward, Davis gave him the honorary rank of "colonel" in the Louisiana State Militia.[2][3]. The next morning he died from complications of the stroke at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 87. In 1953 Parker bought a house in Madison, Tennessee, where Presley would visit and stay while recording. Elvis Presley with manager Colonel Tom Parker as he is discharged from the Army in 1960. . [53], From 1974 onward, Presley's weight gain and prescription drug abuse became too much to be controlled. [52] In Las Vegas, he was starting to appear drugged on stage, slurring his words and forgetting song lyrics. The Colonel was involved in Elvis' music career from very early on. Parker was consequently sent to solitary confinement. 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 . In 1973, Parker had one of his greatest coups with Presley's "Aloha from Hawaii" concert, which was broadcast worldwide from Hawaii. Colonel Tom Parker was born as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk on June 26, 1909 in Breda, Netherlands as the seventh of eleven children of Adam and Maria. Colonel Tom Parker died at the age of 87 years. The majority of Elvis's reported net worth at the time of his death was comprised of royalties from record sales, publishing, film and concert tickets. In the early 80s, an investigation was launched into Parker's management of Presley. After Parker's death in 1997, the home was used as a law . [56] At the funeral, he persuaded Presley's father to sign over control of Presley's career in death to him. In 1955, Parker and Memphis radio personality Bob Neal began promoting the young up-and-coming singer Elvis Presley. In 1994, following the marriage of Lisa Marie and Michael Jackson, Parker stated that Presley would not have approved. Colonel Parker died of a stroke on January 22, 1997, aged 87. . Although the films were profitable, Presley complained about the quality of the scripts. Breda, Breda Municipality, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. [16], Eddy Arnold fired Parker in 1953 over Parker's growing involvement with the singer Hank Snow. LOANNE PARKER Loanne Miller Parker, long-time resident of Las Vegas and widow of Elvis Presley manager Colonel Tom Parker, Dies at 84. Mott passed away in late 1986 at the age of 78. Following this, Presley's career declined drastically as he became increasingly reliant on prescription drugs. . 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. He also reportedly had as much as $30 million worth of gambling debts at various times in his life. [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. [18] When the contract expired, the Memphis radio personality Bob Neal stepped in and made a deal with Phillips to become Presley's manager. Published Jan. 22, 1997 | Updated Sep. 30, 2005. Meanwhile, his gambling habit increasingly eroded the huge fortune he had built up, and he died worth only US$1,000,000. [58], Following Presley's death, Parker set up a licensing operation with Factors Etc. Additionally, Tual determined that Parker's handling of Presley's business affairs was unethical. In later years, Parker's influence waned, but he continued in his management role until Presley's death in 1977. Answer (1 of 2): The gravy train for Col. Parker ended after Elvis died, and the executor that was appointed for Lisa Marie Presley's interests began to go over Parker's deals with Elvis, was appalled, and the estate threatened to take Parker to court, and paid him 2 million dollars to end his as. [35] All of these stories were fabrications, but it kept his name in view of the public. [16] Soon after, Sands' song "Teen-Age Crush" reached number 2 on the pop charts, eventually selling 800,000 copies. Parker did not appear to care if the films were good or bad but only about the profits. [56], In September 1978, shortly after the first anniversary of Presley's death, Parker arranged a fan festival, Always Elvis, where he, Vernon, and Presley's ex-wife Priscilla, dedicated a bronze statue of him in the lobby of the Las Vegas Hilton. Colonel Tom Parker Net Worth : $1 Million. Tom Parker. 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. [67] 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.