Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley are performed by Tom Hanks and Austin Butler within the new "Elvis" film.
Redferns
The person behind Elvis Presley additionally locked down the girl beside him.
Presley’s supervisor Colonel Tom Parker was so controlling, he pressured the rock star into marrying Priscilla Beaulieu on Could 1, 1967. Decided to get these “I do’s” completed, Parker even organized the entire wedding ceremony on the Aladdin lodge in Las Vegas, the place the inveterate gambler had a historical past of harmful money owed.
“He needed him tied right down to a lady so there wouldn’t be any scandals about girls,” stated James L. Dickerson, whose 2001 e-book “Colonel Tom Parker: The Curious Lifetime of Elvis Presley’s Eccentric Supervisor” was bought by Warner Bros. for the brand new “Elvis” film — starring Tom Hanks as Parker — opening on Friday.
“He thought-about girls a foul affect on Elvis.”
Priscilla was solely 14 when she met Elvis — 10 years her senior — whereas he was stationed in Germany with the US Military; three years later, she would transfer into Graceland earlier than tying the knot with him at age 21. Presley — who had dated the likes of Ann-Margret, Natalie Wooden and Rita Moreno — was reluctant to wed the ingenue and calm down.
However the colourful, controversial Parker prevailed. He had an intense affect on the person who could be the King ever since discovering him and changing into his supervisor in 1955.
“I feel Elvis simply was afraid that if he stood as much as Parker, he would mess the whole lot up,” stated Dickerson. “I feel he was simply scared of that.”
An unsolved homicide
Born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk within the Netherlands in 1909, Parker had such a shady previous that there have been rumors that he was concerned within the homicide of Anna van den Enden in his hometown of Breda. The 23-year-old grocer’s spouse had been viciously bludgeoned in Could 1929 close to Parker’s household residence, shortly earlier than he left the nation.
To at the present time, although, the case stays unsolved.
“There’s actually no proof,” stated Dickerson. “However we all know that Colonel Parker was probably not a superb man.”
Illegally immigrating to the US as a stowaway in 1929, he adopted the identify Tom Parker. “He thought it sounded very American,” stated Dickerson. And utilizing his delivery identify, he added, “would determine him as an immigrant.”
Early on, he traveled the States as a carny: “Individuals would purchase tickets to see the Dancing Chickens, and he had a scorching plate they have been standing on to make them dance,” stated Dickerson.
He additionally briefly served as a personal within the Military, however after he abandoned he went to army jail till he was launched, reportedly because of a psychotic breakdown. (Parker would get the honorary “Colonel” title within the Louisiana state militia for work that he did on the election marketing campaign of Gov. Jimmie Davis, who was a former nation singer.)
Ultimately, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, the place he started working with nation singers equivalent to Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow. And when Parker got down to handle Presley, he used Snow to assist persuade the younger singer’s mother and father.
“He plotted and shaped an affiliation with Hank Snow,” stated Dickerson. “He knew that Elvis’ mom beloved Hank Snow. So he took Hank Snow with him to speak to the mom and father.”
However then Parker promptly lower Snow out of the deal to handle Presley. “They'd a enterprise association that fell aside,” stated Dickerson. “And Hank Snow stated that Parker was the bottom human being that had ever walked the earth.”
‘He by no means favored music’
Though Parker would go on to assist Presley turn out to be rock’s first celebrity with hits equivalent to “Heartbreak Resort,” “Hound Canine” and “Don’t Be Merciless,” the 2 didn’t precisely love one another tender.
“Parker was sufficiently old to be Elvis’ father, however they didn't have that sort of relationship in any respect,” stated Dickerson. “I don’t know that they ever hit it off.”
Actually, Parker didn’t even have essentially the most primary factor in widespread with Presley: “He didn’t significantly like music,” stated Dickerson. “He by no means favored music. He didn’t hearken to music.”
Nonetheless, Parker actually profited disproportionately from Presley’s document gross sales and concert events, taking a much bigger lower than the norm. “He began out at 25 p.c, which was excessive,” stated Dickerson. “Fifteen p.c was regular.”
However after Parker’s large playing money owed had gotten him into large hassle in Las Vegas, he hiked his share as much as 50 p.c. “His vice was playing,” stated Dickerson. “He might lose 1,000,000 dollars in a single night time in Vegas.”
Parker additionally pushed Presley to shift his focus from music to motion pictures. And though Elvis had success with movies equivalent to 1957’s “Jailhouse Rock,” Dickerson believes that motion pictures finally harm Presley’s profession — particularly after he returned from a two-year stint within the Military in 1960.
“It killed his music,” he stated. “Parker branded him as a film star, however he bought horrible roles.”
Elvis additionally missed out on doubtlessly profitable international excursions, presumably as a result of Parker didn’t have a US passport.
And after Elvis’ large comeback TV particular in 1968, the next 12 months Parker signed Presley to a long-term deal performing in Las Vegas that snuffed out his momentum — and his mojo. “It simply broke his spirit,” stated Dickerson. “He was a profoundly sad man.”
Certainly, it was throughout these Vegas years that Presley bought deep into abusing prescribed drugs. He died on Aug. 16, 1977, of a coronary heart assault.
Parker was nonetheless wheeling and dealing when he got here to the funeral sporting a baseball cap and a Hawaiian shirt. “He tried to make offers with the folks there,” stated Dickerson.
He continued to revenue off Elvis after his loss of life, receiving 50 p.c of his royalties till settling out of courtroom with the Presley property in 1983. It’s been estimated that the deal earned Parker $100 million.
Though Parker himself would dwell for an additional 20 years after Presley, dying at 87 in 1997, an enormous a part of him died with Elvis. “He was primarily dwelling previously,” stated Dickerson.
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