what was colonel tom parker worth when he died
He . Net Worth: $1 Million. Despite earning over $100 million during his lifetime, at the time of his death Colonel Tom Parker was reportedly worth less than $1 million. [45], By 1972, Parker had managed to increase Presley's weekly wage in Las Vegas to $150,000 ($971,718 in 2021 dollars[11]), and secured $50,000 a year ($323,906 in 2021 dollars[11]) for himself as a "consultant to the hotel chain". His Dutch birthplace and immigrant status were not revealed for many years. [4] Although Parker had served honorably for a time, he went AWOL this time and was charged with desertion. [53] Presley was beginning to consider new management, with Concerts West co-founder Tom Hulett being the clear favorite for the job. Tom Parker had a net worth of $8 million at the time of his death. In any case, Parker remained Presley's manager without a break until Presley's death in 1977. [36] If Parker had had any doubts about his return, they were soon gone when he witnessed the turnout along the route. He was subsequently in "Loving You," "Jailhouse Rock," and "King Creole." [48] (During Presley's career, except for a few concerts in Canada in 1957, he never performed outside the United States.) Colonel Tom Parker was a Dutch-American talent manager and music businessman. [26] Parker, with his 25% share of profits, found ways to make money from his artist that other managers before him had never thought of. [32], In 1957, Parker finally managed to give Tommy Sands his big break by arranging for him to audition for and star in The Singin' Idol, a drama for NBC that was loosely based on the life and career of Presley. He said 'Well then there ain't no doubt about it. He then re-enlisted at Fort Barrancas in Florida. Parker encountered Presley in 1955, and by 1956 had become his primary representative. In 1973, Colonel Parker sold the master tapes for 700 of Presley's songs to RCA for $5.4 million. [37] Parker, not one to forget harsh criticism, stated that the fee would be $125,000 (equivalent to about $1,145,000 in 2021) for two songs, a total of eight minutes on screen; Sinatra himself was receiving a lower sum for the whole show,[38] but he agreed. Parker managed his career with an iron fist. [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. Elvis Presley & Colonel Parker. 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. "Colonel Tom Parker managed Elvis Presley's career from 1955 to 1977. [34] He was upset about the possibility that would affect his career, but Parker was secretly overjoyed. [4] From about 1931 until 1938, he worked as a "carny" with Royal American Shows. "[24], With his first RCA Victor single, "Heartbreak Hotel", in 1956,[25] Presley became a recording star. However, the music scene had radically changed. [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. 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. 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. 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. [16] Parker had intended to mold Sands into the next Roy Rogers, but Sands had no interest in such a plan. Even Tom Hanks thought he was an odd choice to play Elvis Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker in . The 30th Anniversary of the death of Elvis' father, Vernon Presley. As a reward, Davis gave him the honorary rank of "colonel" in the Louisiana State Militia.[2][3]. 2. [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. [15] Despite this, Phillips was not keen to let him go easily, advising Parker that he would require $40,000 (US$404,621 in 2021 dollars[11]) to secure the release of Presley's contract, a completely unheard-of sum at the time. The Colonel was involved in Elvis' music career from very early on. 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. [51], After the Aloha special, Parker made a deal that would later be used in court to prove that he had not acted in the best interests of Presley. In May 1973, in an attempt to deal with Presley's growing dependence on prescription drugs, Presley's father, Vernon, and Parker attempted to cut off his supply. Presley's career stagnated while artists like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys dominated the charts. 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. In later years, Parker's influence waned, but he continued in his management role until Presley's death in 1977. [41] 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. Specifically: The services for Tom Parker were held at Palm Mortuary Downtown location, but his cremains were taken to Memphis, TN and the mortuary has no record of the exact location. With 1956 coming to a close, Parker had made Presley one of the most well-known, well-paid entertainers in the world. [14], Through the fundraising, Parker headed to Tennessee to find acts to perform at his charity events,[14] among them stars such as Minnie Pearl and Eddy Arnold. Cremated. [12] Despite having sold over 86 million records since 1924 and earning over $17 million, Austin's career was at a low point. According to Priscilla, Elvis was happy to pay 50% to Parker to manage him.[73]. Subsequently, Parker managed the singer's successful return to live performing, with several dates set up in Las Vegas. 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! [54], In July 1976, three of Presley's personal bodyguards and members of the "Memphis Mafia", Robert Gene "Red" West, his cousin Sonny West and David Hebler, were fired by Vernon Presley and decided to write a tell-all book about their life in his inner circle, Elvis: What Happened? . Tom Parker caught a glimpse of the singer backstage. [15] However, RCA Victor producer Steve Sholes was convinced that Presley's style of music would be a huge hit with the right label, and he began talks with Parker. I wanted to punch him in the face. "There would have been no Elvis without Colonel Tom Parker; there would have been no Colonel Tom Parker without Elvis. 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. He influenced Presley's personal life, including Presley's decisions to accept military service in 1958 and to marry Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967. In the 1950s, he helped Elvis Presley become a big star. [4] He also noted that Parker's handling of Presley's business affairs during his lifetime, including the decision to sell off past royalties to RCA for $5.4 million in 1973, was unethical and poorly handled. He was 87. Parker appeared to be in complete control during Presley's time away, but he was worried about the outside influence that Presley might encounter in West Germany. Parker appeared at posthumous events honoring Presley, such as the 1993 issuing of a U.S. postage stamp with Presley's likeness. These four shows alone grossed $730,000 ($4,729,029 in 2021 dollars[11]). Part biography, part murder mystery and perhaps the most thoroughly researched . He is also said to have had gambling debts of up to $30 million at different times. Parker made several attempts to have it stopped, but failed to do so. After a lifetime of earning well over $100 million managing Elvis, The Colonel's estate was barely worth $1 million upon his death. [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. On January 20, 1997, Parker suffered a stroke, and died the following morning in a Las Vegas hospital. Just the opposite. 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. [68] Marie died on November 25, 1986, of a chronic brain syndrome at age 78. However, when Presley signed a recording contract with Phillips, Moore and Black were excluded. Elvis Was Not Nearly As Rich As You Might Guess When He Died. Colonel Tom Parker's Lack of Money. [4] After a lifetime that saw him earn in excess of $100 million, Parker's estate was worth barely $1 million when he died. Parker was still worried that Presley would return to nothing, that the public would have found a new star to fawn over by then, and that his golden goose would be reduced to nothing more than a "has-been".[35]. 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 . 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. [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. Colonel Tom Parker acted as Presley's promoter and, then manager and promoter, for most of his career. Much of the money went to Col. Tom Parker, the King's enigmatic, cigar . They struggled to survive during the Great Depression, working short cons and traveling across the country in search of work. The killing happened a few streets from where the Van Kuijk family lived, and Parker had been hired to make deliveries from this and other grocery stores in the area. [4] At age 17, he first displayed signs of wanting to run away to the United States to "make his fortune". Tom discovered Elvis in 1955 when he was 20, but their partnership wasn't . What was Colonel Tom Parker worth when he died? LOANNE PARKER Loanne Miller Parker, long-time resident of Las Vegas and widow of Elvis Presley manager Colonel Tom Parker, Dies at 84. Presley's first manager was Scotty Moore, the guitarist in his band, who was encouraged by Sun Records owner Sam Phillips to become Presley's manager to protect Elvis from unscrupulous music promoters. "[56] Almost immediately, before even visiting Graceland, Parker traveled to New York City to meet with merchandising associates and executives with RCA Records, instructing them to prepare for a huge demand in Presley products. [18] Neal was struggling at the time 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. "He fully believed the colonel's story that Parker hailed from Huntington, West Virginia; Elvis died not knowing the truth," she says. Tom Parker was born on 26 June 1909 in Breda, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. 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%. 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. Mourners recall being surprised at his wearing a Hawaiian shirt and baseball cap, smoking his trademark cigar, and purposely avoiding the casket. Colonel Tom Parker was a music entrepreneur, well-known for being Elvis' manager. [4] 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 he experienced in their casino. But as time went on, as the Beatles began their dominance of the music charts and the worldwide phenomenon known as Beatlemania began, Presley became less significant. [26], In April 1956, Parker made his first mistake with Presley's career. His films still made money and his albums still sold well, but the profits were falling. Tom Hanks describes the larger-than-life character he portrays in the new Baz Luhrmann film, "Elvis," which opens in theaters next Friday. He left the estate to his father, Vernon Presley, and Lisa Marie. 'Life with you was never dull' More on The Wanted [33], Presley had been showing signs of rebellion against Parker, and Parker believed that a stint in the Army would cure him of this. The King supposedly earned $100 million during his limelighted lifetime, which ended 10 years ago today. Then she was hired on as Elvis' tour secretary and traveled . He was mysterious and colorful, and, under his guidance, his one and only client -- Elvis -- reached unimaginable heights. [50] In later years, several of Presley's inner circle would tell of how difficult it was to persuade Presley to quit the drugs. [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. He became Presley's manager in 1955 just as . The 100th birthday of Colonel Parker. Parker encouraged Presley to make film musicals which became the focus of his career during his commercial decline in the 1960s until his 1968 comeback and return to touring. [44], During a closing night performance on September 3, 1973, following news that a Hilton staff member whom Presley was fond of had been fired, Presley attacked Hilton Hotels chairman Barron Hilton in a verbal rage on stage. [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. [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. [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).
