WEBVTT

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All right, let's unpack this. Imagine a figure

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so influential, so absolutely central to one

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of the biggest stars in history, yet he wasn't

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even legally in the country where he built his

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entire empire. We're talking about Colonel Tom

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Parker, you know, the enigmatic force behind

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Elvis Presley, the man who really crafted the

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king's image and career, whose own origins were

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just shrouded in secrecy, whose methods were

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often controversial, and whose grip on his star

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was, well... legendary. It's a fascinating paradox

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isn't it? His personal history, I mean deeply

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rooted in evasion and reinvention, it directly

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informed pretty much every aspect of his management

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style. Right. It created a blueprint for stardom

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that was both revolutionary and at times deeply

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problematic for Elvis. Exactly. So today we're

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taking a deep dive into the life and career of

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Colonel Tom Parker or as he was born, Andreas

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Coeur d 'Alice van Kijk, Elvis Presley's infamous

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manager. We'll explore his mysterious beginnings,

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his improbable rise from carnival promoter to

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music mogul, and that often contentious relationship

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that shaped Elvis's entire career and his enduring

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legacy. So our mission today is basically to

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extract the most important insights into Parker's

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character, his business acumen, the decisions

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he made. the brilliant ones and the detrimental

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ones, just to understand how he became arguably

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the most powerful, most controlling manager in

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music history. Yeah, quite possibly. Crucially,

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what that meant for Elvis and for you, the fan,

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we're going to try and give you a shortcut to

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being well -informed about this really complex

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figure who truly built the Elvis's brand. Let's

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do it. Let's jump right into the very beginning,

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his incredibly murky past. Where does it all

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start? Well, Colonel Tom Parker, the name we

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all know, wasn't actually the name he was born

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with, as you said. He entered the world as Andreas

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Cornelis van Kijk on June 26, 1909, way back

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in Breda, North Brabant in the Netherlands. She

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was one of many children, the fourth or maybe

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fifth of 11, born to Maria Elizabeth Ponzi and

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Adam van Kijk. His father was a former military

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man, worked as a delivery man for catalogs. And

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by Parker's own later estimations, his childhood

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was quite turbulent. He claimed he ran away from

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home 17 times by the age of 16. 17 times. Wow.

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Yeah, which is, you know, a lot. And that's when

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his father died. Shortly after that, at 17, young

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Andreas moved to the bustling port city of Rotterdam

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to live with an aunt and uncle. His uncle was

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a skipper. Ah, okay. And even then, the pull

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of America was apparently strong. He openly talked

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about wanting to run away to the United States

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to make his fortune. He was definitely determined

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to make that fortune, but his first attempt to

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actually get to the US was quite eventful, wasn't

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it? What did the latest records tell us about

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that early trip? Yeah, it's interesting. New

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passenger lists from 2023 actually reveal a slightly

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different timeline than some older biographies

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suggested. So instead of 1927, these records

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show he was actually sent back from New York

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to the Netherlands on March 20th, 1926. Sent

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back. So he made it over. They made it over,

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yeah. Think about that. A young man, barely 17,

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gets all the way across the Atlantic, only to

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be turned around and shipped back home to Rotterdam

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on the steamship SS Vindham. Wow. And the fact

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that the U .S. government actually paid for his

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return voyage, that suggests there was a pretty

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significant, probably legal, issue involved,

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even at that really young age. Yeah, that's not

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just, sorry, visa problem. Exactly. This wasn't

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just a failed trip. It was a rather public, documented

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intervention for someone so young. That's a huge

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detail. Most people don't get deported at 17.

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But clearly, he didn't give up. No, definitely

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not. Persistence was clearly a defining trait.

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In May 1929, almost 20 years old, Andreas Cornelis

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van Kijk returned to the United States. And this

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time, he was planning to stay. OK, second time's

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the charm. Right. He immediately found work,

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immersed himself in the traveling entertainment

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industry, cutting his teeth with carnivals and

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something called a Chautauqua educational tent

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show. Chautauqua, what's that? Yeah, for those

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maybe unfamiliar, Chautauqua shows were these

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popular adult education movements, late 19th,

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early 20th centuries. They offered a mix of lectures,

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concerts, entertainment, all under tents. Kind

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of like a traveling fair, but with an educational

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slant. Huh, interesting. So this was his first

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real immersion into that whole world of showmanship,

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itinerant performance, and frankly, confidence

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games. A world that would profoundly shape his

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future. Makes sense. Then a few months later,

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apparently enticed by the promise of a Hawaiian

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station assignment, he enlisted in the United

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States Army. Ah, the plot sickens. Right. And

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this was a really critical step in shedding his

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past. because he used a false identity to disguise

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his illegal entry into the country. And that's

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where the name comes from. Exactly. His new name,

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Tom Parker, was reportedly taken from the officer

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who interviewed him during his enrollment. Just

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took the officer's name. Apparently so. Yeah.

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After enlisting, he completed basic training

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down at Fort McPherson in Georgia. A completely

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new identity. Just like that. But his army career

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wasn't exactly a straightforward path to stability

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either, was it? Not at all. He served two years

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in the 64th Coast Artillery out at Fort Shafter

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in Hawaii, which, you know, sounds like maybe

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an escape from his past. Yeah. But then he reenlisted

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at Fort Brancas down in Florida only to go AWOL

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absent without leave. Oh, dear. He was charged

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with desertion, which led to solitary confinement.

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And this is where things take a really dark turn.

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From solitary, he apparently emerged with a psychosis,

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which led to him spending two months in a mental

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hospital. Ultimately, his condition led to his

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discharge from the army. It's just hard to imagine

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that kind of early trauma, you know, the deception,

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the legal vulnerability, those really significant

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mental health struggles didn't profoundly shape

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his later... intensely controlling and secretive

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nature as a manager, wouldn't you say? Absolutely.

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The constant need to hide his true identity,

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his past, the psychological toll of that. He

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clearly had to leave an indelible mark on his

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psyche and, well, his whole approach to life

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and business. Yeah. It's hard to imagine it didn't.

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The pressure of constantly concealing who you

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are, the psychological scars from that army experience,

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that could easily forge someone who trusts very

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few people and holds everything incredibly close

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to the best. Right. So what do we see in his

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actions immediately after his discharge around

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1931? Does it reinforce that? Well, after his

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discharge, Parker picked up a variety of odd

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jobs, you know, working food concessions, gaming

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carnivals, always moving, always hustling. Back

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to the carny life. Pretty much. It was between

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1931 and 1938 that he really started building

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valuable contacts while working with Royal American

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Shows, which was a major traveling carnival.

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OK. Then in 1935, he married Marie Frances Mott.

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She was 27, already twice married with a son.

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And there's some mystery around that marriage

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too, right? There is. What's truly intriguing

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is the speculation that Parker married Marie

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partly to, well, disguise his illegal status.

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Ah, a cover. Exactly. It would have created an

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instant family. A ready -made cover for his past.

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Now while the sources say there's no absolute

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proof, some biographers doubt if they were even

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legally married at all. They cite no record in

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Florida, and Marie apparently wasn't divorced

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from her second husband until 1936. A year after

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she married Parker. Right. So a carny wedding

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is sometimes suggested, which kind of fits his

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penchant for showmanship and blurring the lines.

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Definitely fits the pattern. And they really

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struggled financially during the Great Depression,

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apparently living on as little as a dollar a

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week sometimes, often working confidence tricks

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just to get by. It paints this vivid picture

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of a man constantly reinventing himself, always

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on the edge, always hustling. That constant hustle,

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though, it eventually led him into the music

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industry, didn't it? What was his first big foray

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into that world? Yeah, his journey into music

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promotion really began in 1938. His first significant

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act was the crooner, Gene Austin. Austin's career,

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despite him having sold something like 86 million

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records since 1924, was at a bit of a low point.

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Parker, drawing heavily on that carnival experience,

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just instinctively knew how to sell tickets,

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how to attract crowds. He found the transition

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to music promotion remarkably smooth, apparently.

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And this success ignited a new ambition. He didn't

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just want to promote anymore. He wanted to move

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into full -fledged management. So he clearly

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had a natural aptitude for the showmanship side

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of things. Austin recognized that potential and

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actually offered Parker a chance to move to Nashville,

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which was rapidly becoming a music hub. But Parker

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said no, right? He chose to stay in Temple Terrace,

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Florida with his family. That seems like a strange

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decision for such an ambitious guy, doesn't it?

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It does seem counterintuitive, yeah. And the

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sources suggest this decision might have been

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heavily influenced, again, by his desire to avoid

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any paperwork that could expose his illegal immigration

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status. Ah, the secrecy again. It just highlights

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how deeply that was embedded in his life choices.

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And what's even more telling is that within about

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a year, a new law offered illegal immigrants

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a chance at U .S. citizenship in exchange for

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a promise to fight in World War II. A perfect

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opportunity. You'd think so. But Parker never

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applied. This was a clear chance to legitimize

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his status, and he passed it up. It just further

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emphasizes his commitment to keeping his past

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hidden, even from the government. Wow. That pattern

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of calculated risk and avoidance of scrutiny

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is just so consistent. After turning down Nashville,

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Parker found this secure, if kind of unexpected,

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job as a field agent for the Hillsborough County

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Humane Society. Right. Bit of a left turn. Yeah.

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But this job offered him not only a stable wage,

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but also a rent -free apartment in West Tampa,

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which was crucial. given his earlier money troubles.

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And he used his innate promotional skills to

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raise money and awareness for the society. Of

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course he did. And in doing so, he traveled to

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Tennessee to find acts for charity events, which

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included well -known artists like Minnie Pearl

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and, crucially, Eddie Arnold. Connecting the

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dots. Right. This subtly drew him back into music

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promotion, but this time, it was for himself,

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not just the Humane Society. And it paid off

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handsomely. By 1945, Parker became Eddie Arnold's

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full -time manager. securing a 25 % share of

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Arnold earnings. 25%. Yep. Over the next few

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years, he helped Arnold achieve pretty significant

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success, hit songs, TV appearances, live tours.

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Then in 1948, the famous Colonel title came into

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play. Ah, the Colonel. Where did that come from?

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Well, Louisiana Governor Jimmy Davis, who's actually

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a former country singer himself, awarded Parker

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the honorary rank of Colonel. in Louisiana state

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militia. It was apparently a gesture of gratitude

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for Parker's work on Davis's election campaign.

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Honorary, though. Oh, completely. It's important

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to note that Louisiana at the time had no organized

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militia, so the title was purely honorary. But

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Parker, ever the showman, adopted it for life.

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Of course he did. It's quite a transformation,

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isn't it? From Andreas van Kijk to Colonel Tom

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Parker, it wasn't just a name change. It was

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an entire identity constructed layer by layer

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with that honorary title adding a touch of legitimacy,

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maybe mystique, to a man who had built his career

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on an invented past. It's a testament to his

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sheer audacity. He was always building his own

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brand right alongside his clients. Now, his roster

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expanded, though not always smoothly. Eddie Arnold

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eventually fired Parker in 1953. Why was that?

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It was apparently due to Parker's increasing

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involvement with another singer, Hank Snow. Parker,

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ever the shrewd negotiator, demanded a $50 ,000

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buyout. 50 grand? Yes. Back then. That's huge.

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Yeah, that's approaching, what, $600 ,000 in

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today's money. Just incredible. After that, he

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and Snow formed Hank Snow Enterprises and Jamboree

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Attractions, the successful promotional outfit

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for country singers. So he landed on his feet.

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Oh, yeah. He also had an eye for new talent,

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spotting a young Tommy Sands back in 1952. Parker

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promoted Sands, even kind of envisioned him as

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the next Roy Rogers, and sent demo recordings

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to an RCA Victor producer named Steve Scholes.

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He was always looking for the next big thing,

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you know, and that search would soon lead him

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to a talent unlike any other. Enter Elvis. Exactly.

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In early 1955, Parker's ears caught wind of something

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totally new. Elvis Presley. His singing style

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was just remarkably different from anything currently

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trending, and it immediately piqued Parker's

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interest. Right. Interestingly, Parker initially

00:12:35.350 --> 00:12:38.070
thought Presley might be black, which just highlights

00:12:38.070 --> 00:12:41.169
how revolutionary and genre -bending Elvis's

00:12:41.169 --> 00:12:43.210
sound was at the time. Yeah, blurring those lines.

00:12:43.610 --> 00:12:45.789
Presley was performing with the Blue Moon Boys

00:12:45.789 --> 00:12:48.289
Scotty Moore on guitar and Bill Black on bass.

00:12:48.539 --> 00:12:51.100
Now, Presley's early management was a bit of

00:12:51.100 --> 00:12:53.200
a revolving door before Parker really took over,

00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:56.100
right? It was. Scotty Moore was actually Presley's

00:12:56.100 --> 00:12:58.419
first manager, apparently encouraged by Sun Records

00:12:58.419 --> 00:13:01.240
owner Sam Phillips. Moore's contract was for

00:13:01.240 --> 00:13:03.580
like 10 percent commission, which he reportedly

00:13:03.580 --> 00:13:06.840
never even took. Wow. When that contract expired,

00:13:07.419 --> 00:13:10.379
a Memphis radio personality named Bob Neal stepped

00:13:10.379 --> 00:13:14.080
in as manager. However, Neal soon began to struggle,

00:13:14.100 --> 00:13:17.320
apparently, with the just rapid pace of Presley's

00:13:17.320 --> 00:13:20.220
success. Too much, too fast. Yeah, and this opened

00:13:20.220 --> 00:13:24.100
the door for Parker. In February 1955, after

00:13:24.100 --> 00:13:26.539
a meeting with Neal and Presley, Elvis agreed

00:13:26.539 --> 00:13:28.799
to let Parker take some control of his future

00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:31.039
bookings and promotions. Okay, getting his foot

00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:33.340
in the door. Right. Parker and Neil initially

00:13:33.340 --> 00:13:35.639
worked together, even using their Hank Snow tour

00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:38.919
to book Presley. But by the summer of 55, Parker

00:13:38.919 --> 00:13:41.940
had become Presley's special advisor. And crucially,

00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:44.659
since Elvis was still a minor, his parents had

00:13:44.659 --> 00:13:47.240
to sign this contract on his behalf. Ah, the

00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:49.820
parents. That's key. Parker quickly identified

00:13:49.820 --> 00:13:52.720
his primary mission. Get Elvis a new recording

00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:54.980
contract with a larger, more established label.

00:13:55.230 --> 00:13:58.649
Sun Records owner Sam Phillips knew Presley needed

00:13:58.649 --> 00:14:01.350
that bigger brand to truly succeed, but he wasn't

00:14:01.350 --> 00:14:03.309
going to let him go easily. Phillips demanded

00:14:03.309 --> 00:14:06.669
what was then an unheard of sum, $40 ,000 for

00:14:06.669 --> 00:14:10.110
Presley's contract release. $40 ,000 for an unknown

00:14:10.110 --> 00:14:12.570
kid, basically. Pretty much. That translates

00:14:12.570 --> 00:14:16.389
to almost $470 ,000 in today's money. Just an

00:14:16.389 --> 00:14:19.250
astonishing price tag for a young, relatively

00:14:19.250 --> 00:14:22.070
unknown artist back then. That's a huge gamble

00:14:22.070 --> 00:14:25.009
for any label to take on an artist at that stage.

00:14:25.029 --> 00:14:27.210
What was Parker doing to convince them to pay

00:14:27.210 --> 00:14:30.149
that kind of premium? Well, this is where Parker's

00:14:30.149 --> 00:14:33.070
genius for negotiation really, really shone through.

00:14:33.409 --> 00:14:35.789
He basically created artificial scarcity, right?

00:14:35.809 --> 00:14:38.629
He inflated Elvis's perceived value, forcing

00:14:38.629 --> 00:14:40.850
RCA to pay a premium that would set a whole new

00:14:40.850 --> 00:14:43.350
precedent for artist acquisitions. Playing hardball.

00:14:43.669 --> 00:14:45.889
Absolutely. Both Mercury and Columbia Records

00:14:45.889 --> 00:14:48.110
showed interest, but their initial offers were

00:14:48.110 --> 00:14:50.870
nowhere near Phillips's asking price. RCA Victor,

00:14:51.230 --> 00:14:53.370
which was Hank Snow's label, also showed interest

00:14:53.370 --> 00:14:56.750
but was understandably wary of the cost. However,

00:14:57.230 --> 00:15:00.629
that RCA Victor producer, Steve Scholz, was convinced

00:15:00.629 --> 00:15:03.509
of Presley's potential. He believed his style

00:15:03.509 --> 00:15:05.649
would be a massive hit if he signed with the

00:15:05.649 --> 00:15:08.409
right label. RCA initially wouldn't go above

00:15:08.409 --> 00:15:12.070
$25 ,000 for a practically unknown singer, but

00:15:12.070 --> 00:15:15.070
Parker, with his masterful negotiation skills,

00:15:15.250 --> 00:15:17.690
persuaded them that Presley was no ordinary unknown.

00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:20.659
He made them see Elvis as an investment, not

00:15:20.659 --> 00:15:23.279
just a risk. And here's a fascinating glimpse

00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:26.019
into Parker's sort of shrewd, pragmatic thinking.

00:15:26.659 --> 00:15:28.179
Around the same time, because he was worried

00:15:28.179 --> 00:15:30.220
the Presley deal might fall through due to that

00:15:30.220 --> 00:15:33.139
crazy cost, Parker actually tried to sell Tommy

00:15:33.139 --> 00:15:36.320
Sands to RCA as a backup plan. No way. Yeah.

00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:38.360
He suggested to Scholls that Sands could record

00:15:38.360 --> 00:15:41.340
material similar to Presley's. But Scholls, apparently

00:15:41.340 --> 00:15:43.120
remembering his previous experience with Sands,

00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:45.559
dismissed him as a viable replacement for Presley.

00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:48.419
Parker clearly always had multiple irons in the

00:15:48.419 --> 00:15:51.399
fire, a sign of his deep experience in the fickle

00:15:51.399 --> 00:15:53.580
world of entertainment. It truly showcases his

00:15:53.580 --> 00:15:55.679
constant strategic maneuvers, doesn't it? So

00:15:55.679 --> 00:15:58.879
in November 1955, Parker and Hank Snow finally

00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:02.139
persuaded RCA to buy Presley out from Sun for

00:16:02.139 --> 00:16:05.100
the full $40 ,000. They paid it. They paid it.

00:16:05.580 --> 00:16:08.779
On November 21st, Presley's contract was officially

00:16:08.779 --> 00:16:12.090
transferred to RCA Victor. Now, while Snow might

00:16:12.090 --> 00:16:13.789
have believed Elvis was signing with their joint

00:16:13.789 --> 00:16:15.789
promotional outfit, that wasn't the case. It

00:16:15.789 --> 00:16:19.289
was purely the record label transfer. Ouch. Poor

00:16:19.289 --> 00:16:22.590
Hank Snow. Yeah. And Bob Neal, in exchange for

00:16:22.590 --> 00:16:25.289
a significant financial stake in the deal, agreed

00:16:25.289 --> 00:16:27.690
not to renew his management contract with Presley

00:16:27.690 --> 00:16:31.929
when it expired in March 1956. That completely

00:16:31.929 --> 00:16:34.169
cleared the path for Parker to fully assume the

00:16:34.169 --> 00:16:36.870
role. This was Parker's moment to truly ascend.

00:16:37.129 --> 00:16:39.870
So with Neil out of the picture, March 26th,

00:16:39.909 --> 00:16:43.230
1956, Presley signs an exclusive contract, making

00:16:43.230 --> 00:16:45.789
Parker his sole representative. And Parker left

00:16:45.789 --> 00:16:47.929
no doubt about it. When Hank Snow, who'd helped

00:16:47.929 --> 00:16:50.090
with the RCA deal, asked about their contract

00:16:50.090 --> 00:16:52.509
with Presley, Parker famously just stated, you

00:16:52.509 --> 00:16:54.570
don't have any contract with Elvis Presley, Elvis

00:16:54.570 --> 00:16:57.029
is signed exclusively to the Colonel. Wow, cold.

00:16:57.409 --> 00:17:01.269
Stone cold. And history was made. With Heartbreak

00:17:01.269 --> 00:17:06.210
Hotel in 1956, his first RCA Victor single, Elvis

00:17:06.210 --> 00:17:09.349
became an overnight recording sensation. Parker

00:17:09.349 --> 00:17:11.630
then wasted zero time, bringing his new star

00:17:11.630 --> 00:17:13.470
to the national stage, arranging appearances

00:17:13.470 --> 00:17:16.450
on huge TV shows like The Milton Berle Show and

00:17:16.450 --> 00:17:18.650
The Ed Sullivan Show. The big ones. The biggest.

00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:20.970
He secured fees that made Presley the highest

00:17:20.970 --> 00:17:23.769
paid star on television at the time. By that

00:17:23.769 --> 00:17:25.809
summer, Elvis was one of the most famous new

00:17:25.809 --> 00:17:28.509
faces in America. Thrilling teenagers and, you

00:17:28.509 --> 00:17:31.329
know, predictably. causing outrage among older

00:17:31.329 --> 00:17:33.430
audiences and religious groups. Right, the controversy

00:17:33.430 --> 00:17:36.390
begins. Exactly. And Presley himself later said

00:17:36.390 --> 00:17:38.490
of Parker, I don't think I would have ever been

00:17:38.490 --> 00:17:40.930
huge if it wasn't for him. He's a brilliant man.

00:17:41.089 --> 00:17:42.849
Parker's genius wasn't just in booking, though.

00:17:42.890 --> 00:17:45.809
It was in branding. He immediately saw the merchandising

00:17:45.809 --> 00:17:48.509
potential. He signed a deal with a Beverly Hills

00:17:48.509 --> 00:17:51.750
film merchandiser named Hank Saperstein for nearly

00:17:51.750 --> 00:17:55.049
$40 ,000 just to turn Presley into a full -fledged

00:17:55.049 --> 00:17:57.650
brand name. 40 grand just for merch rights. Yeah.

00:17:57.759 --> 00:18:00.579
And it was incredibly successful. With over 78

00:18:00.579 --> 00:18:02.380
different products for sale, everything from

00:18:02.380 --> 00:18:05.220
charm bracelets to record players, Presley Merchandise

00:18:05.220 --> 00:18:08.039
brought in a staggering $22 million by the end

00:18:08.039 --> 00:18:12.920
of 1956 alone. 22 million in 1956. Insane numbers.

00:18:13.220 --> 00:18:16.299
Parker, with his 25 % share of the profits, found

00:18:16.299 --> 00:18:19.619
just unprecedented ways to monetize Elvis. A

00:18:19.619 --> 00:18:22.140
perfect example of his shrewd, almost audacious

00:18:22.140 --> 00:18:26.220
understanding of publicity and market segmentation

00:18:26.220 --> 00:18:28.930
was simultaneous selling I love Elvis and I hate

00:18:28.930 --> 00:18:31.109
Elvis buttons. Selling I hate Elvis buttons that's

00:18:31.109 --> 00:18:33.210
pure marketing savvy right there turning controversy

00:18:33.210 --> 00:18:35.789
directly into cash. Exactly it showed he understood

00:18:35.789 --> 00:18:37.650
that even negative attention was still attention

00:18:37.650 --> 00:18:39.910
and it could all be monetized. Incredible however

00:18:39.910 --> 00:18:41.910
even the Colonel made missteps. What was his

00:18:41.910 --> 00:18:44.190
first big professional stumble with Elvis? Well

00:18:44.190 --> 00:18:46.390
his first significant career mistake with Elvis

00:18:46.390 --> 00:18:49.950
happened in April 1956 when Parker booked Presley

00:18:49.950 --> 00:18:52.849
for a four -week engagement in Las Vegas. Ah

00:18:52.849 --> 00:18:56.869
Vegas early Vegas. Yeah and he completely misjudged

00:18:56.869 --> 00:19:00.089
the older, more reserved audiences that Vegas

00:19:00.089 --> 00:19:02.710
typically attracted back then. While Elvis was

00:19:02.710 --> 00:19:05.369
igniting teenage fervor across America, the Vegas

00:19:05.369 --> 00:19:08.910
crowd found him, well, an oddity. Some viewed

00:19:08.910 --> 00:19:11.470
him as a clown -like figure wiggling his hips.

00:19:11.910 --> 00:19:14.410
Others found him vulgar and maybe more suitable

00:19:14.410 --> 00:19:17.490
for late night clubs. Not the right fit. Definitely

00:19:17.490 --> 00:19:20.390
not. After a pretty cold reception during his

00:19:20.390 --> 00:19:22.950
first few shows, Parker quickly cut the appearance

00:19:22.950 --> 00:19:26.269
down to two weeks. Presley himself later remembered

00:19:26.269 --> 00:19:28.089
it as one of the worst moments of his entire

00:19:28.089 --> 00:19:30.990
career. Despite that setback, Parker's ambition

00:19:30.990 --> 00:19:33.609
for Elvis seemed to know no bounds. He moved

00:19:33.609 --> 00:19:35.829
quickly towards Hollywood. What was the vision

00:19:35.829 --> 00:19:38.190
there and how did it blend with Elvis's music?

00:19:38.509 --> 00:19:40.410
Well, remembering that Presley had expressed

00:19:40.410 --> 00:19:42.750
interest in acting when they first met, Parker

00:19:42.750 --> 00:19:44.950
arranged a screen test with Paramount Pictures.

00:19:45.470 --> 00:19:47.410
The studio was apparently highly impressed with

00:19:47.410 --> 00:19:49.809
Presley's acting ability and signed him to a

00:19:49.809 --> 00:19:51.950
seven -picture contract. Seven pictures, just

00:19:51.950 --> 00:19:54.769
like that. Right out of the gate. Parker ensured

00:19:54.769 --> 00:19:56.970
the agreement allowed Presley the freedom to

00:19:56.970 --> 00:19:59.210
make at least one film a year with another studio

00:19:59.210 --> 00:20:01.670
and he even managed to set up an office with

00:20:01.670 --> 00:20:05.130
staff right there at Paramount. Now initially

00:20:05.130 --> 00:20:07.410
Presley's acting career was envisioned as a serious

00:20:07.410 --> 00:20:10.849
one but Parker, ever the opportunist, persuaded

00:20:10.849 --> 00:20:13.470
him to sing in his movies. He recognized the

00:20:13.470 --> 00:20:15.750
immense opportunity for lucrative cross -promotion

00:20:15.750 --> 00:20:18.569
of singles and albums. The synergy. Exactly.

00:20:18.970 --> 00:20:21.480
This proved to be a goldmine. especially when

00:20:21.480 --> 00:20:23.819
the single for Presley's first film, Love Me

00:20:23.819 --> 00:20:26.680
Tender, sold over a million copies in advance

00:20:26.680 --> 00:20:30.759
sales alone. By the end of 1956, Parker had made

00:20:30.759 --> 00:20:33.039
Presley one of the world's most well -known and

00:20:33.039 --> 00:20:35.339
highest paid entertainers. It's interesting though

00:20:35.339 --> 00:20:37.460
that he wasn't just focused on Elvis even then.

00:20:37.859 --> 00:20:40.900
In 1957, Parker finally managed to give Tommy

00:20:40.900 --> 00:20:44.170
Sands, his earlier client, his big break. How

00:20:44.170 --> 00:20:45.910
did he manage that, and what does it tell us

00:20:45.910 --> 00:20:48.309
about Parker's strategic thinking? Yeah, he arranged

00:20:48.309 --> 00:20:50.950
for Sands to audition for and star in an episode

00:20:50.950 --> 00:20:52.970
of Kraft Television Theater called The Singin'

00:20:53.029 --> 00:20:57.309
Idol. The storyline was loosely based on Presley's

00:20:57.309 --> 00:21:00.849
life and career. Yeah. NBC had actually wanted

00:21:00.849 --> 00:21:02.990
Presley for the role, but Parker turned them

00:21:02.990 --> 00:21:06.549
down, possibly to avoid associating Elvis with

00:21:06.549 --> 00:21:09.869
the portrayal of a twisted psychopath depicted

00:21:09.869 --> 00:21:12.309
in the drama. According to some sources, okay

00:21:12.309 --> 00:21:15.230
protecting the brand right sans performance earned

00:21:15.230 --> 00:21:17.630
critical acclaim Leading to a capital records

00:21:17.630 --> 00:21:21.170
contract within a week and his hit song Teenage

00:21:21.170 --> 00:21:23.410
crush which hit number two on the pop charts

00:21:23.410 --> 00:21:27.049
and sold 800 ,000 copies Wow big hit it just

00:21:27.049 --> 00:21:29.509
demonstrates Parker's continued ability to leverage

00:21:29.509 --> 00:21:31.910
his connections and promotional genius for other

00:21:31.910 --> 00:21:34.930
acts Even while Elvis was just exploding into

00:21:34.930 --> 00:21:37.789
superstardom He always had a backup plan or another

00:21:37.789 --> 00:21:40.369
opportunity simmering on the back burner. Always

00:21:40.369 --> 00:21:43.589
working the angles. Now even with all of Presley's

00:21:43.589 --> 00:21:45.990
incredible success, Parker apparently continued

00:21:45.990 --> 00:21:47.829
to struggle with the belief that Elvis's career

00:21:47.829 --> 00:21:50.109
would last more than a year or two. He thought

00:21:50.109 --> 00:21:51.950
it would be foolish to assume Presley would be

00:21:51.950 --> 00:21:53.869
any different from the many, you know, fleeting

00:21:53.869 --> 00:21:56.170
acts he'd seen in his carnival days. Right, that

00:21:56.170 --> 00:21:59.049
carny skepticism. So when Presley received his

00:21:59.049 --> 00:22:01.410
draft notice from the United States Army in January

00:22:01.410 --> 00:22:04.789
1958, while Elvis was reportedly pretty upset,

00:22:05.250 --> 00:22:09.529
Parker was, uh, secretly overjoyed. This decision

00:22:09.529 --> 00:22:11.849
to have Elvis serve as a regular soldier, not

00:22:11.849 --> 00:22:14.130
in special services, that really changed things,

00:22:14.170 --> 00:22:16.329
didn't it? What were Parker's calculations there?

00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:18.079
It's a really complex moment, and it definitely

00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:21.579
highlights his priorities. Parker believed a

00:22:21.579 --> 00:22:23.819
stint in the army would maybe curb Presley's

00:22:23.819 --> 00:22:26.140
rebellious tendencies, make him more compliant.

00:22:26.220 --> 00:22:29.539
Ah, control. Exactly. And it's also crucial to

00:22:29.539 --> 00:22:32.319
remember Parker's own history. He likely feared

00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:34.440
that any attempt to block the draft would lead

00:22:34.440 --> 00:22:36.779
to a more detailed look into his own questionable

00:22:36.779 --> 00:22:39.779
military record and his illegal immigrant status.

00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:42.079
something he certainly wanted to avoid at all

00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:44.880
costs. Of course. So he skillfully persuaded

00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:47.220
Elvis to serve as a regular soldier, arguing

00:22:47.220 --> 00:22:48.980
that this approach would make Elvis more accepted

00:22:48.980 --> 00:22:51.940
by the public, avoid media backlash. He then

00:22:51.940 --> 00:22:53.819
orchestrated it as this brilliant promotional

00:22:53.819 --> 00:22:56.339
opportunity, arranging for the media to witness

00:22:56.339 --> 00:22:59.140
Elvis's induction day, including that iconic

00:22:59.140 --> 00:23:01.440
haircut that sheared off Presley's famous hairstyle.

00:23:01.640 --> 00:23:04.000
Yeah, the haircut herd around the world. Pretty

00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:07.359
much. It was a brilliant PR move, turning a potential

00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:11.000
career obstacle into a patriotic triumph. So

00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:13.160
Parker turned a potential career derailment into

00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:16.400
a PR victory. But while Elvis served over in

00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:19.099
West Germany, Parker appeared to be in complete

00:23:19.099 --> 00:23:21.500
control back home, yet the sources indicate he

00:23:21.500 --> 00:23:24.380
was actually quite worried about outside influences

00:23:24.380 --> 00:23:27.490
affecting Elvis. What was the concern? Yeah,

00:23:27.490 --> 00:23:29.269
he was definitely worried about losing his grip,

00:23:29.349 --> 00:23:31.609
wasn't he? Parker famously declined to travel

00:23:31.609 --> 00:23:33.910
to Europe to visit Presley, claiming he only

00:23:33.910 --> 00:23:36.849
spoke English, which was a convenient excuse

00:23:36.849 --> 00:23:38.829
that allowed him to maintain distance and control.

00:23:39.250 --> 00:23:41.230
Right. Instead, he sent Presley's friends over

00:23:41.230 --> 00:23:43.490
to keep him company and arranged for business

00:23:43.490 --> 00:23:46.029
associates to watch over him, maintaining regular

00:23:46.029 --> 00:23:48.630
contact. He was reportedly terrified that Elvis

00:23:48.630 --> 00:23:50.990
might realize other managers would sign contracts

00:23:50.990 --> 00:23:54.150
requiring less than Parker's 25 % cut, which,

00:23:54.170 --> 00:23:56.029
remember, would later increase significantly.

00:23:56.200 --> 00:23:58.759
So he kept Elvis kind of isolated even while

00:23:58.759 --> 00:24:01.779
he was away. That says a lot about his need for

00:24:01.779 --> 00:24:05.220
control. Parker also worked tirelessly to keep

00:24:05.220 --> 00:24:07.339
Presley's name in the public consciousness, fearing

00:24:07.339 --> 00:24:09.680
he'd lose fame during his military service. Got

00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:13.079
to keep the brand alive. Absolutely. He strategically

00:24:13.079 --> 00:24:15.759
arranged for Presley to record five singles before

00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:19.000
induction, guaranteeing RCA Victor enough material

00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:22.549
to release over the next two years. Despite RCA

00:24:22.549 --> 00:24:25.170
being eager for Presley to record in West Germany,

00:24:25.769 --> 00:24:27.809
Parker insisted it would ruin his reputation

00:24:27.809 --> 00:24:31.569
as a regular soldier. He also apparently fabricated

00:24:31.569 --> 00:24:34.490
stories for the press, things like a future live

00:24:34.490 --> 00:24:37.849
CCTV broadcast upon his return, annual television

00:24:37.849 --> 00:24:40.769
spectaculars, all designed just to keep Presley's

00:24:40.769 --> 00:24:43.230
name in the news. And when Elvis finally returned

00:24:43.230 --> 00:24:46.769
in March 1960, Parker orchestrated a truly triumphant

00:24:46.769 --> 00:24:48.630
comeback. He arranged for a train to take him

00:24:48.630 --> 00:24:51.119
from Washington DC down to Memphis with scheduled

00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:53.240
stops along the way so fans could see their idol

00:24:53.240 --> 00:24:56.640
in person. Building the hype. Totally. If Parker

00:24:56.640 --> 00:24:59.160
had any lingering worries about Presley's fame

00:24:59.160 --> 00:25:01.400
waning, they were certainly dispelled by the

00:25:01.400 --> 00:25:04.259
massive turnout along that route. And what happened

00:25:04.259 --> 00:25:07.200
next is just a testament to Parker's shrewdness

00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:11.680
and his long memory. Frank Sinatra. Oh yes, Sinatra.

00:25:11.720 --> 00:25:13.779
Who had once famously called Presley a rock and

00:25:13.779 --> 00:25:16.519
roll disgrace back in the 50s, now wanted him

00:25:16.519 --> 00:25:19.359
to appear on the Frank Sinatra show. Parker.

00:25:19.579 --> 00:25:22.640
Not one to forget harsh criticism, demanded an

00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:27.579
exorbitant $125 ,000 for just two songs, totaling

00:25:27.579 --> 00:25:29.420
maybe eight minutes on screen. Get out of here,

00:25:29.480 --> 00:25:33.660
$125 ,000. Yep. That sum, approaching $1 .3 million

00:25:33.660 --> 00:25:36.079
today, was actually higher than Sinatra himself

00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:38.619
was getting paid for the entire show. But Sinatra

00:25:38.619 --> 00:25:41.700
agreed. Wow, Parker didn't mess around. No. The

00:25:41.700 --> 00:25:45.000
show, titled Welcome Home Elvis, Mark Presley's

00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:47.619
first national television appearance since 1957.

00:25:47.819 --> 00:25:50.019
That's a master class in holding a grudge and

00:25:50.019 --> 00:25:52.500
getting paid for it. Following the Sinatra special,

00:25:52.740 --> 00:25:55.059
Parker made this pivotal decision. Presley's

00:25:55.059 --> 00:25:57.859
future, he declared, lay in Hollywood. He envisioned

00:25:57.859 --> 00:26:00.500
Elvis as an entertainment machine, just churning

00:26:00.500 --> 00:26:02.880
out three feature films and accompanying soundtracks

00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:05.480
a year until the decade's end. The movie factory.

00:26:05.940 --> 00:26:08.900
Exactly. This strategy severely limited live

00:26:08.900 --> 00:26:11.839
performances. After just three charity shows

00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:15.019
in 1961, Presley gave no more live shows until

00:26:15.019 --> 00:26:18.880
1968. It minimized his contact with fans. Parker

00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:20.799
signed these long -term contracts with Hollywood

00:26:20.799 --> 00:26:23.519
Studios, a move that, well, in hindsight, probably

00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:26.359
proved to be a mistake. How so? Well, while it

00:26:26.359 --> 00:26:29.059
guaranteed work and income, negotiating each

00:26:29.059 --> 00:26:31.440
deal separately based on previous film profits

00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:33.500
likely would have yielded more money in the long

00:26:33.500 --> 00:26:36.920
run. Throughout the 60s, Parker continually renegotiated

00:26:36.920 --> 00:26:39.579
Presley's film contracts, often just disregarding

00:26:39.579 --> 00:26:41.559
scripts or even Presley's artistic concerns.

00:26:42.259 --> 00:26:44.720
These deals were apparently so harsh that producer

00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:47.160
Hal Wallace famously called Parker the devil.

00:26:47.289 --> 00:26:50.730
The devil. Wow. Here we really see that profound

00:26:50.730 --> 00:26:53.130
paradox of Parker's management emerge, don't

00:26:53.130 --> 00:26:55.289
we? He was the visionary who built the Elvis's

00:26:55.289 --> 00:26:57.309
brand, but he also became the one who trapped

00:26:57.309 --> 00:27:00.390
him in this cycle of, you know, formulaic films.

00:27:00.410 --> 00:27:03.069
Yeah, the gilded cage. He prioritized profit

00:27:03.069 --> 00:27:05.849
margins over artistic growth, creating what would

00:27:05.849 --> 00:27:08.490
become known as the dead ends in Elvis's career.

00:27:09.230 --> 00:27:11.329
Presley only needed to provide RCA Victor with

00:27:11.329 --> 00:27:14.049
three albums a year, and his film's soundtracks

00:27:14.049 --> 00:27:17.000
easily fulfill that requirement. With no concert

00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:19.480
touring or public appearances, Parker was able

00:27:19.480 --> 00:27:22.519
to keep costs to an absolute minimum. Smart business,

00:27:22.700 --> 00:27:25.720
maybe, but bad for the art. Exactly. For the

00:27:25.720 --> 00:27:27.640
first few years, Presley's films were moderately

00:27:27.640 --> 00:27:30.400
successful. His album's top charts, singles were

00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:33.000
hits. However, as the Beatles and Beatlemania

00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:36.019
began to just dominate the music scene, Presley's

00:27:36.019 --> 00:27:38.319
significance waned. and the film profits started

00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:40.759
falling off. And Parker's response? Parker's

00:27:40.759 --> 00:27:42.819
response was just to insist that films be made

00:27:42.819 --> 00:27:45.559
even more cheaply on stricter schedules with

00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:47.920
minimal hassle. He seemed to care only about

00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:49.900
the profits, not the quality of the product.

00:27:50.680 --> 00:27:52.539
When Elvis complained about wanting better scripts,

00:27:52.700 --> 00:27:54.839
Parker reportedly reminded him of his lavish

00:27:54.839 --> 00:27:57.279
lifestyle and warned him that risking $1 million

00:27:57.279 --> 00:27:59.900
a year for practically no work was dangerous.

00:28:00.140 --> 00:28:03.200
It sounds incredibly frustrating for Elvis. Parker

00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:05.880
himself admitted that after 1966, the income

00:28:05.880 --> 00:28:08.299
from Presley films and soundtracks had dramatically

00:28:08.299 --> 00:28:11.279
declined. So what did the Colonel do to compensate

00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:13.500
for that lack of earnings? Get creative. Oh,

00:28:13.559 --> 00:28:16.240
he got creative. Even if it was a bit unconventional,

00:28:16.740 --> 00:28:19.380
he arranged for Elvis's iconic gold Cadillac

00:28:19.380 --> 00:28:21.420
to go on tour. Tour of the car. Tour of the car.

00:28:21.920 --> 00:28:25.420
He sold it to RCA for $24 ,000, which is over

00:28:25.420 --> 00:28:29.240
$232 ,000 in today's money. It was used to promote

00:28:29.240 --> 00:28:32.319
Presley's latest film, Frankie and Johnny, and

00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:34.119
proved to be somewhat more successful in the

00:28:34.119 --> 00:28:36.359
film itself. No kidding. Yeah. In Houston alone,

00:28:36.599 --> 00:28:38.579
40 ,000 people apparently paid just to see the

00:28:38.579 --> 00:28:41.259
car in one afternoon. And here's a wild detail

00:28:41.259 --> 00:28:44.160
from the sources. One audacious woman supposedly

00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:46.339
even offered to have sex with the tour manager

00:28:46.339 --> 00:28:48.920
if he would let her sit in it. Okay, now that

00:28:48.920 --> 00:28:51.200
is brand loyalty and a testament to Parker's

00:28:51.200 --> 00:28:53.880
ability to turn literally anything into a promotional

00:28:53.880 --> 00:28:56.220
event, even a Cadillac. It just shows how he

00:28:56.220 --> 00:28:58.640
saw Elvis as this all -encompassing monetizable

00:28:58.640 --> 00:29:04.740
brand. Parker renegotiated his management contract

00:29:04.740 --> 00:29:07.259
again, persuading Elvis to increase his share

00:29:07.259 --> 00:29:11.460
from 25 % to a whopping 50 % on certain transactions.

00:29:11.859 --> 00:29:15.259
50%. 50%. Critics questioned if Parker was taking

00:29:15.259 --> 00:29:17.980
advantage of Elvis, but Presley himself famously

00:29:17.980 --> 00:29:19.880
quipped, I could have signed with East Coast

00:29:19.880 --> 00:29:23.099
Entertainment where they take 70%. Parker justified

00:29:23.099 --> 00:29:25.059
it by saying, well, Elvis was his only client,

00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:27.640
so he was only earning one fee. Hmm, debatable

00:29:27.640 --> 00:29:30.180
logic. With Elvis showing signs of rebellion

00:29:30.180 --> 00:29:32.779
in his career kind of declining in the mid -60s,

00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:34.799
Parker decided it was time for a new approach.

00:29:35.799 --> 00:29:38.140
Marriage. Elvis had been living with Priscilla

00:29:38.140 --> 00:29:41.019
Buehle for four years, and Parker, with some

00:29:41.019 --> 00:29:43.359
subtle nudging from Priscilla's stepfather, pushed

00:29:43.359 --> 00:29:45.259
for the marriage. He hoped it would maybe boost

00:29:45.259 --> 00:29:48.279
Elvis' career and tame him a bit. Right. Settle

00:29:48.279 --> 00:29:51.000
him down. Parker decided Las Vegas was the perfect

00:29:51.000 --> 00:29:53.519
wedding location, leading to this quiet eight

00:29:53.519 --> 00:29:56.759
-minute ceremony on May 1, 1967 with just a handful

00:29:56.759 --> 00:29:58.779
of guests, followed by a breakfast reception

00:29:58.779 --> 00:30:02.279
for the media. Very low -key considering. This

00:30:02.279 --> 00:30:05.079
period also saw Elvis's big return to musical

00:30:05.079 --> 00:30:08.400
credibility, though. How did the 68 comeback

00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:11.180
special, such a stark contrast to the film machine,

00:30:11.359 --> 00:30:14.420
come about? And what role did Elvis play in shaping

00:30:14.420 --> 00:30:17.180
its direction? That feels important. It was hugely

00:30:17.180 --> 00:30:20.220
important. It took that 1968 television special

00:30:20.220 --> 00:30:22.660
Elvis, which was sponsored by Singer Sony Machines,

00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:25.140
and the subsequent recording sessions back in

00:30:25.140 --> 00:30:28.119
Memphis, which gave us hits like Suspicious Minds

00:30:28.119 --> 00:30:31.420
and In the Ghetto to truly restore his musical

00:30:31.420 --> 00:30:33.859
reputation. Right. And what's truly fascinating

00:30:33.859 --> 00:30:36.839
here is that for one of the few times Elvis actually

00:30:36.839 --> 00:30:39.779
stood up against Barker. The producer, Steve

00:30:39.779 --> 00:30:42.440
Binder, suggested Elvis sing his old hits and

00:30:42.440 --> 00:30:45.079
perform with his old band, Scotty Moore and DJ

00:30:45.079 --> 00:30:47.519
Fontana, which was a direct rebellion against

00:30:47.519 --> 00:30:49.960
Parker's usual directives. Elvis pushed back.

00:30:50.079 --> 00:30:52.859
He did. Presley knew this TV show was his chance

00:30:52.859 --> 00:30:55.240
for a proper comeback. And with Binder backing

00:30:55.240 --> 00:30:57.319
him, he famously told Parker he was doing it

00:30:57.319 --> 00:30:59.619
Binder's way. Their instincts proved immensely

00:30:59.619 --> 00:31:02.359
successful. A stark contract to that formulaic

00:31:02.359 --> 00:31:04.579
film machine. Thank goodness he did. Oh, yeah.

00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:07.380
The TV special was a huge hit. The album became

00:31:07.380 --> 00:31:10.950
a best seller. Parker then managed Elvis's triumphant

00:31:10.950 --> 00:31:13.809
return to live performance, including brief U

00:31:13.809 --> 00:31:16.690
.S. tours and many, many lucrative Las Vegas

00:31:16.690 --> 00:31:19.289
engagements. He signed a contract with the International

00:31:19.289 --> 00:31:22.130
Hotel for a month -long engagement at an unheard

00:31:22.130 --> 00:31:26.490
of $125 ,000 a week. A week? That's over $1 .1

00:31:26.490 --> 00:31:29.529
million today. Incredible money. During this

00:31:29.529 --> 00:31:32.869
time, Parker and Presley agreed to a 50 -50 partnership,

00:31:33.170 --> 00:31:36.109
though Parker often earned more through merchandising

00:31:36.109 --> 00:31:38.710
and other non -music items. The success of Elvis's

00:31:38.710 --> 00:31:40.950
Las Vegas return led Parker to decide it was

00:31:40.950 --> 00:31:43.289
time for Presley to tour properly for the first

00:31:43.289 --> 00:31:46.150
time in 13 years. These tours were so financially

00:31:46.150 --> 00:31:48.789
successful that they largely dictated Elvis's

00:31:48.789 --> 00:31:50.589
workload for the rest of his life, didn't they?

00:31:50.670 --> 00:31:53.089
They really did. Parker's main role during these

00:31:53.089 --> 00:31:55.430
tours was managing logistics, ensuring tickets

00:31:55.430 --> 00:31:57.970
were sold. He typically flew ahead to venues

00:31:57.970 --> 00:32:00.009
to prepare everything for Elvis's entourage.

00:32:00.430 --> 00:32:02.970
As a result, he and Elvis apparently rarely saw

00:32:02.970 --> 00:32:05.750
each other and contact became increasingly difficult.

00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:08.420
These live performances were also financially

00:32:08.420 --> 00:32:10.500
lucrative and helped fulfill Presley's recording

00:32:10.500 --> 00:32:13.559
contract with RCA Victor, with three live albums

00:32:13.559 --> 00:32:18.150
released just between 1969 and 1972 alone. By

00:32:18.150 --> 00:32:20.789
72, Parker had managed to increase Elvis' weekly

00:32:20.789 --> 00:32:25.109
Las Vegas wage to $150 ,000 over $1 .1 million

00:32:25.109 --> 00:32:29.009
today and secured an additional $50 ,000 annually

00:32:29.009 --> 00:32:31.509
for himself as a consultant to the hotel chain.

00:32:32.910 --> 00:32:34.769
He also arranged for Elvis to perform at Madison

00:32:34.769 --> 00:32:38.029
Square Garden in June 1972, initially planned

00:32:38.029 --> 00:32:40.650
as three performances. Demand was so incredibly

00:32:40.650 --> 00:32:43.049
high that Parker added a fourth, making Elvis

00:32:43.049 --> 00:32:44.910
the first performer ever to sell out the venue

00:32:44.910 --> 00:32:48.670
four consecutive times. grossed $730 ,000, which

00:32:48.670 --> 00:32:51.150
is over $5 .4 million today. Just printing money

00:32:51.150 --> 00:32:52.990
at that point. It was an incredible period of

00:32:52.990 --> 00:32:54.710
resurgence, and Parker was absolutely riding

00:32:54.710 --> 00:32:58.289
that wave. On July 8, 1972, inspired by President

00:32:58.289 --> 00:33:00.730
Nixon's visit to China earlier that year, Parker

00:33:00.730 --> 00:33:02.589
announced this worldwide satellite broadcast

00:33:02.589 --> 00:33:05.210
from Hawaii. Aloha from Hawaii. He claimed it

00:33:05.210 --> 00:33:06.609
would allow the whole world to see a Presley

00:33:06.609 --> 00:33:09.970
concert. Ambitious. Very. He held another press

00:33:09.970 --> 00:33:13.009
conference in September 72, boasting an expected

00:33:13.009 --> 00:33:16.549
audience of 1 billion for the January 14th, 1973

00:33:16.549 --> 00:33:20.150
broadcast. Though he hadn't fully considered

00:33:20.150 --> 00:33:22.509
the fact that many countries, including parts

00:33:22.509 --> 00:33:24.549
of Europe and America, wouldn't actually see

00:33:24.549 --> 00:33:27.789
the concert live due to time zones. Oops. Minor

00:33:27.789 --> 00:33:30.809
detail. Right. A Honolulu advertiser columnist,

00:33:30.910 --> 00:33:33.150
Eddie Sherman, suggested that instead of charging

00:33:33.150 --> 00:33:35.390
admission, donations could go to the Kui Lee

00:33:35.390 --> 00:33:37.869
Cancer Fund. Given Presley's song, I'll Remember

00:33:37.869 --> 00:33:40.720
You. Parker eagerly agreed, seeing the chance

00:33:40.720 --> 00:33:43.200
to publicize Elvis's charitable nature once again.

00:33:43.299 --> 00:33:45.619
Good PR move. And the Aloha from Hawaii album

00:33:45.619 --> 00:33:47.359
went straight to number one on the U .S. charts

00:33:47.359 --> 00:33:50.680
in 1974, Elvis's first number one album since

00:33:50.680 --> 00:33:53.200
the roused about soundtrack years earlier. Despite

00:33:53.200 --> 00:33:55.759
these huge professional highs, Frizzly's personal

00:33:55.759 --> 00:33:58.180
struggles were intensifying, particularly his

00:33:58.180 --> 00:34:02.220
drug dependency. In May 1973, Parker and Elvis's

00:34:02.220 --> 00:34:05.039
father, Vernon, even attempted to cut off his

00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:07.420
prescription drug supply. They hired private

00:34:07.420 --> 00:34:09.579
detectives, were temporarily successful, but

00:34:09.579 --> 00:34:11.820
Elvis just found other doctors. How culpable

00:34:11.820 --> 00:34:13.960
was Parker and Elvis's decline, given he was

00:34:13.960 --> 00:34:16.360
so close to the situation? It's a tough question.

00:34:16.599 --> 00:34:19.500
It's a really difficult question to answer definitively.

00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:23.179
Author Alana Nash suggests Parker just didn't

00:34:23.179 --> 00:34:25.559
know how to handle the situation discreetly,

00:34:25.559 --> 00:34:27.699
you know, in the days before widespread rehab

00:34:27.699 --> 00:34:30.599
clinics. And he certainly feared loss of work

00:34:30.599 --> 00:34:33.829
or negative publicity if the truth got out. Understandable,

00:34:33.969 --> 00:34:37.829
maybe. Right. Parker himself stated that he privately

00:34:37.829 --> 00:34:40.829
spoke to Elvis multiple times, casually suggesting

00:34:40.829 --> 00:34:43.610
he quit or tone down the pill -popping and binge

00:34:43.610 --> 00:34:46.639
eating. But Elvis reportedly responded by telling

00:34:46.639 --> 00:34:48.420
Parker to stay out of his personal business.

00:34:48.579 --> 00:34:51.980
Yeah. From 1974 onwards, Elvis's weight gain

00:34:51.980 --> 00:34:54.019
and prescription drug abuse became pretty much

00:34:54.019 --> 00:34:56.739
uncontrollable, leading to increasingly drugged

00:34:56.739 --> 00:34:59.619
appearances on stage where he'd slur his words,

00:35:00.019 --> 00:35:02.159
forget lyrics. Tragic. It's a tragic part of

00:35:02.159 --> 00:35:04.360
the story, absolutely. And Parker was certainly

00:35:04.360 --> 00:35:07.380
deeply enmeshed in it, even if his primary intention

00:35:07.380 --> 00:35:09.619
was just to protect the career, the money machine.

00:35:09.789 --> 00:35:12.570
In the midst of all this, after the Aloha special,

00:35:13.110 --> 00:35:15.130
Parker made a really controversial deal that

00:35:15.130 --> 00:35:18.329
would later be heavily scrutinized. He offered

00:35:18.329 --> 00:35:22.030
RCA Records Elvis's entire back catalog for $5

00:35:22.030 --> 00:35:26.090
.4 million. Now, at the time, it wasn't considered

00:35:26.090 --> 00:35:28.670
particularly valuable, but later, this catalog

00:35:28.670 --> 00:35:30.449
would become one of the most valuable in the

00:35:30.449 --> 00:35:33.210
music business. Huge mistake in hindsight. Massive.

00:35:33.530 --> 00:35:35.969
The sale meant that after his death, Elvis's

00:35:35.969 --> 00:35:38.409
estate would receive absolutely no royalties

00:35:38.409 --> 00:35:41.489
for any Presley recordings made prior to 1973.

00:35:42.050 --> 00:35:44.369
This seems like a massive long -term financial

00:35:44.369 --> 00:35:46.809
vulnerability. Why on earth would Parker make

00:35:46.809 --> 00:35:50.269
such a deal? This decision indeed created a massive

00:35:50.269 --> 00:35:52.710
long -term financial vulnerability for the estate.

00:35:52.920 --> 00:35:55.519
It really highlights how Parker's earlier decisions,

00:35:55.820 --> 00:35:57.940
often made for short -term gain, or maybe to

00:35:57.940 --> 00:36:00.760
avoid scrutiny, ultimately had these devastating

00:36:00.760 --> 00:36:03.579
consequences down the line. It is important to

00:36:03.579 --> 00:36:05.699
note, though, that Presley himself had apparently

00:36:05.699 --> 00:36:07.920
asked Parker to raise funds specifically to pay

00:36:07.920 --> 00:36:10.039
for his impending divorce settlement from Priscilla,

00:36:10.599 --> 00:36:12.960
which was filed in 1973. Okay, so there was a

00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:15.960
reason. There was a reason. Parker was acting

00:36:15.960 --> 00:36:18.280
on a direct request for a large sum of money,

00:36:18.440 --> 00:36:20.699
even if the match had proved to be incredibly

00:36:20.699 --> 00:36:23.019
short -sighted in the long run. The strain on

00:36:23.019 --> 00:36:25.139
their relationship, however, was becoming really

00:36:25.139 --> 00:36:28.719
evident. In September 1973, during a closing

00:36:28.719 --> 00:36:31.460
night performance, Elvis verbally attacked the

00:36:31.460 --> 00:36:33.920
Hilton Hotel's chairman Baron Hilton on stage

00:36:33.920 --> 00:36:36.780
after a staff member he liked was fired. Oh,

00:36:36.780 --> 00:36:40.099
boy. Parker, furious, stormed into Presley's

00:36:40.099 --> 00:36:42.300
dressing room after the show. It led to this

00:36:42.300 --> 00:36:44.519
heated argument where Elvis actually fired him.

00:36:44.510 --> 00:36:46.690
Barker in turn declared, you can't fire me, I

00:36:46.690 --> 00:36:49.730
quit and demanded $2 million to end their contract.

00:36:50.190 --> 00:36:52.409
Two million. After nearly two weeks of trading

00:36:52.409 --> 00:36:54.429
insults, they ultimately decided to just continue

00:36:54.429 --> 00:36:56.889
working together. This incident just clearly

00:36:56.889 --> 00:37:00.110
highlights the intense, almost codependent nature

00:37:00.110 --> 00:37:02.800
of their relationship. It was toxic. That codependency

00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:05.340
would lead to so many missed opportunities, wouldn't

00:37:05.340 --> 00:37:08.780
it? Yeah. In March 1975, Elvis, along with Parker,

00:37:09.079 --> 00:37:11.179
met with Barbra Streisand and John Peters to

00:37:11.179 --> 00:37:13.460
discuss co -starring in a remake of A Star is

00:37:13.460 --> 00:37:16.480
Born. Elvis was genuinely excited, apparently

00:37:16.480 --> 00:37:18.380
saw it as a chance to finally be taken seriously

00:37:18.380 --> 00:37:20.940
as an actor. Yeah, a real role. Streisand's production

00:37:20.940 --> 00:37:23.840
company, First Artists, offered Presley $500

00:37:23.840 --> 00:37:26.780
,000 and 10 % of the profits, which today is

00:37:26.780 --> 00:37:30.739
almost $3 million. Parker, viewing this as just

00:37:30.739 --> 00:37:32.880
a starting bid, instead demanded $1 million,

00:37:33.440 --> 00:37:36.440
50 % of the profits, plus another $100 ,000 for

00:37:36.440 --> 00:37:38.739
expenses, and talked about needing to arrange

00:37:38.739 --> 00:37:41.739
soundtrack details. Overplaying his hand. Massively.

00:37:42.139 --> 00:37:44.519
First artists, unaccustomed to such huge demands,

00:37:44.679 --> 00:37:47.039
didn't even counter. They just offered the role

00:37:47.039 --> 00:37:49.460
to Chris Christopherson instead. Parker later

00:37:49.460 --> 00:37:51.699
claimed Elvis told him to make the demands excessive,

00:37:51.800 --> 00:37:53.900
but many of Elvis's friends contradicted this,

00:37:54.139 --> 00:37:57.010
saying he was furious at losing the role. So

00:37:57.010 --> 00:37:59.929
what do you think was driving Parker's exorbitant

00:37:59.929 --> 00:38:03.210
demands here? Was it pure greed or something

00:38:03.210 --> 00:38:05.050
else entirely? That's the critical question,

00:38:05.170 --> 00:38:07.349
isn't it? And it's fueled so much debate. Later

00:38:07.349 --> 00:38:09.869
in 1975, the government of Saudi Arabia offered

00:38:09.869 --> 00:38:12.789
Parker $5 million, then $10 million for Elvis

00:38:12.789 --> 00:38:15.389
to perform there. Parker turned both offers down

00:38:15.389 --> 00:38:18.409
flat. $10 million. Turned it down. South American

00:38:18.409 --> 00:38:20.849
promoters also offered as much as $2 .5 million,

00:38:21.090 --> 00:38:23.389
all rejected by Parker, who famously told them,

00:38:23.510 --> 00:38:25.550
well, whenever I need $2 .5 million, I'll call

00:38:25.550 --> 00:38:28.559
you. Unbelievable. Presley was reportedly overjoyed

00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:30.159
at the thought of these international shows.

00:38:31.139 --> 00:38:34.219
The prevailing theory, and one heavily supported

00:38:34.219 --> 00:38:37.179
by his life story, is that his illegal immigration

00:38:37.179 --> 00:38:39.920
status made international travel a terrifying

00:38:39.920 --> 00:38:43.260
prospect, even for a brief trip. Leaving the

00:38:43.260 --> 00:38:44.940
U .S. meant he might not be able to get back

00:38:44.940 --> 00:38:47.900
in. Ah, the past catching up. It seems likely.

00:38:48.360 --> 00:38:50.739
By this time, Elvis was seriously considering

00:38:50.739 --> 00:38:54.269
new management. Concert's West co -founder Tom

00:38:54.269 --> 00:38:56.849
Hewlett, who managed Led Zeppelin tours, was

00:38:56.849 --> 00:38:58.949
apparently a clear favorite. Talks progressed

00:38:58.949 --> 00:39:00.670
to the point where it seemed almost inevitable

00:39:00.670 --> 00:39:03.389
discussing European tours, buying out Parker's

00:39:03.389 --> 00:39:05.929
contract, but the deal just never materialized.

00:39:05.989 --> 00:39:08.449
Why not? Biographer Peter Guralnik described

00:39:08.449 --> 00:39:10.630
Parker and Presley as like a married couple who

00:39:10.630 --> 00:39:12.449
should have walked away but just lacked the courage.

00:39:13.170 --> 00:39:15.070
Parker remained his manager without a break until

00:39:15.070 --> 00:39:17.809
Elvis's death. The relationship was clearly nearing

00:39:17.809 --> 00:39:21.849
its breaking point though. In July 1976, three

00:39:21.849 --> 00:39:24.530
of Elvis's bodyguards, members of the Memphis

00:39:24.530 --> 00:39:27.510
mafia, were fired by Vernon Presley and decided

00:39:27.510 --> 00:39:30.889
to write a tell -all book, Elvis, What Happened.

00:39:31.449 --> 00:39:33.769
Worried about the impact, Elvis, through his

00:39:33.769 --> 00:39:36.010
father, asked Parker to stop its publication.

00:39:36.550 --> 00:39:39.710
Parker made several attempts but failed. According

00:39:39.710 --> 00:39:41.989
to Elvis's friend Larry Geller, Parker might

00:39:41.989 --> 00:39:44.309
have secretly wanted the book published, hoping

00:39:44.309 --> 00:39:46.590
it would make Elvis realize the severity of his

00:39:46.590 --> 00:39:48.570
drug situation and prompt him to do something

00:39:48.570 --> 00:39:50.769
about it. The book was published just a month

00:39:50.769 --> 00:39:53.349
before Elvis's death. Wow, that's dark. Yeah.

00:39:53.570 --> 00:39:56.030
In his final years, Parker and Elvis saw little

00:39:56.030 --> 00:39:58.590
of each other, becoming almost strangers, according

00:39:58.590 --> 00:40:01.510
to some accounts. Parker denied rumors of selling

00:40:01.510 --> 00:40:03.769
Elvis's contract, but had indeed been in talks

00:40:03.769 --> 00:40:06.110
with Led Zeppelin's manager, Peter Grant, about

00:40:06.110 --> 00:40:08.670
a potential European tour for Presley. It just

00:40:08.670 --> 00:40:11.289
never happened. And it's impossible to discuss

00:40:11.289 --> 00:40:13.750
Parker's later management without addressing

00:40:13.750 --> 00:40:16.429
his significant personal issues, particularly

00:40:16.429 --> 00:40:19.730
his gambling addiction. Biographers Dirk Villenga

00:40:19.730 --> 00:40:22.550
and Alana Nash state that Parker's gambling habit

00:40:22.550 --> 00:40:24.690
began to get really out of control in the mid

00:40:24.690 --> 00:40:27.710
-1960s, maybe fueled by his wife's declining

00:40:27.710 --> 00:40:30.650
health and Elvis' own career struggles. How bad

00:40:30.650 --> 00:40:33.250
was it? Apparently, he would often gamble 12,

00:40:33.269 --> 00:40:36.969
14 hours at a time, betting huge sums and reportedly

00:40:36.969 --> 00:40:39.510
losing at least $1 million a year. A million

00:40:39.510 --> 00:40:42.309
a year. By the time of Elvis's death in 1977,

00:40:42.989 --> 00:40:45.090
it was suspected that Parker owed the Las Vegas

00:40:45.090 --> 00:40:48.849
Hilton over $30 million. $30 million. Which translates

00:40:48.849 --> 00:40:51.829
to a staggering $155 million in today's dollars.

00:40:52.530 --> 00:40:54.809
Despite earning over $100 million in his lifetime,

00:40:55.250 --> 00:40:57.469
Parker's estate was worth barely $1 million when

00:40:57.469 --> 00:41:00.210
he died. Incredible. It truly raises the question.

00:41:00.650 --> 00:41:03.650
How much did these enormous gambling debts influence

00:41:03.650 --> 00:41:06.210
his management decisions? Especially pushing

00:41:06.210 --> 00:41:08.849
Elvis into those grueling tours and rejecting

00:41:08.849 --> 00:41:10.750
lucrative film and international offers that

00:41:10.750 --> 00:41:13.050
might have taken Elvis out of Vegas away from

00:41:13.050 --> 00:41:15.510
the casinos. Yeah, you have to wonder. The anecdotes

00:41:15.510 --> 00:41:18.369
of Eddie Murphy and Mick Davis recounting Parker

00:41:18.369 --> 00:41:21.190
rubbing their heads for luck in Vegas just hint

00:41:21.190 --> 00:41:23.369
at the pervasive nature of his addiction. Elvis

00:41:23.369 --> 00:41:27.150
Presley died on August 16th, 1977, just one day

00:41:27.150 --> 00:41:29.949
before a planned tour was set to begin. Accounts

00:41:29.949 --> 00:41:32.929
vary on Parker's immediate reaction. Some say

00:41:32.929 --> 00:41:35.409
he acted as if nothing happened. Others claim

00:41:35.409 --> 00:41:38.030
he slumped in his chair, muttered, Oh, dear God,

00:41:38.449 --> 00:41:40.730
before quickly phoning Bernard Presley to advise

00:41:40.730 --> 00:41:43.469
on protecting Elvis's image. His famous quote,

00:41:43.469 --> 00:41:45.449
when asked by journalist what he would do now

00:41:45.449 --> 00:41:47.690
is while I'll just go right on managing him.

00:41:47.690 --> 00:41:50.710
Chilling. Almost immediately, and notably before

00:41:50.710 --> 00:41:53.389
even visiting Graceland, Parker traveled straight

00:41:53.389 --> 00:41:55.389
to New York to meet with merchandising associates

00:41:55.389 --> 00:41:57.929
and RCA executives, instructing them to prepare

00:41:57.929 --> 00:42:00.590
for a huge demand for Elvis products. Business

00:42:00.590 --> 00:42:03.670
first. Always. He later attended Elvis' funeral

00:42:03.670 --> 00:42:05.809
in Memphis, surprising mourners by wearing a

00:42:05.809 --> 00:42:08.070
Hawaiian shirt and a baseball cap, smoking his

00:42:08.070 --> 00:42:10.630
trademark cigar, and purposely avoiding the casket.

00:42:11.210 --> 00:42:13.449
At the funeral, he also persuaded Vernon Presley

00:42:13.449 --> 00:42:16.050
to sign over control of Elvis' career in death

00:42:16.050 --> 00:42:18.449
to him. Parker immediately set about managing

00:42:18.449 --> 00:42:21.289
the Presley estate, but it was just fraught with

00:42:21.289 --> 00:42:23.650
financial mismanagement from the start. He set

00:42:23.650 --> 00:42:25.710
up a licensing operation with a company called

00:42:25.710 --> 00:42:28.690
Factors Etc. Inc. to control Presley merchandise

00:42:28.690 --> 00:42:31.469
and generate income. However, it was later revealed

00:42:31.469 --> 00:42:34.750
that Parker owned 56 % of that company, Elvis's

00:42:34.750 --> 00:42:38.409
estate owned only 22%, and various business associates

00:42:38.409 --> 00:42:41.469
made up the remaining 22%. Unbelievable structure.

00:42:41.769 --> 00:42:43.630
And because of Parker's earlier ill -advised

00:42:43.630 --> 00:42:45.909
agreement with RCA that gave them sole ownership

00:42:45.909 --> 00:42:49.250
of all pre -1973 recording royalties, the estate

00:42:49.250 --> 00:42:53.159
heavily relied on income from factors, etc. With

00:42:53.159 --> 00:42:55.519
Parker still entitled to 50 % of all Elvis's

00:42:55.519 --> 00:42:58.380
income, even posthumously, and after taxes were

00:42:58.380 --> 00:43:00.780
taken off, the estate received less than $1 million

00:43:00.780 --> 00:43:03.619
a year for upkeep. Barely surviving. Then in

00:43:03.619 --> 00:43:06.860
January 1979, an even more damaging revelation

00:43:06.860 --> 00:43:09.460
came to light. Presley had lost out on millions

00:43:09.460 --> 00:43:11.340
in royalties for songs where he was listed as

00:43:11.340 --> 00:43:14.280
an author or composer because Parker had unwisely

00:43:14.280 --> 00:43:17.219
advised him not to sign up with Ace Cap or BMI.

00:43:17.500 --> 00:43:19.400
you know, the performance rights organizations

00:43:19.400 --> 00:43:21.719
that ensure artists get paid. Oh, that's basic.

00:43:22.320 --> 00:43:24.579
Right. Experts estimated this mistake potentially

00:43:24.579 --> 00:43:27.500
cost Elvis, and by extension, Parker himself,

00:43:28.219 --> 00:43:30.280
millions and millions of dollars. It's just an

00:43:30.280 --> 00:43:32.519
incredible testament to his shortsightedness

00:43:32.519 --> 00:43:34.780
in certain areas, isn't it? Particularly when

00:43:34.780 --> 00:43:36.900
it came to the estate's long -term financial

00:43:36.900 --> 00:43:40.130
health. By 1980, the cost of running the estate

00:43:40.130 --> 00:43:43.809
was estimated at $500 ,000 a year. Priscilla

00:43:43.809 --> 00:43:46.230
Presley and the other co -trustees were initially

00:43:46.230 --> 00:43:49.010
prepared to let Parker continue handling Elvis's

00:43:49.010 --> 00:43:51.269
business affairs, even petitioning the court

00:43:51.269 --> 00:43:53.849
to that end. Really? After all that? Apparently

00:43:53.849 --> 00:43:57.489
so, initially. However, Judge Joseph Evans, mindful

00:43:57.489 --> 00:44:00.130
that Lisa Marie Presley was still a minor, appointed

00:44:00.130 --> 00:44:02.590
an attorney named Blanchard E. Tool to investigate

00:44:02.590 --> 00:44:05.460
Parker's management. Tool's preliminary finding

00:44:05.460 --> 00:44:08.059
was damning. Parker's 50 % management deal was

00:44:08.059 --> 00:44:10.139
deemed extortionate compared to the industry

00:44:10.139 --> 00:44:13.039
average of 15 -20%. Finally, someone call it

00:44:13.039 --> 00:44:15.280
out. He also noted that Parker's handling of

00:44:15.280 --> 00:44:17.360
Presley's business affairs during his lifetime,

00:44:17.739 --> 00:44:21.199
including that 1973 catalog sale, was unethical

00:44:21.199 --> 00:44:24.449
and poorly managed. During a more detailed investigation,

00:44:24.829 --> 00:44:26.829
Chule discovered earnings were being paid directly

00:44:26.829 --> 00:44:29.449
to the trust instead of Parker. With the IRS

00:44:29.449 --> 00:44:32.510
demanding almost $15 million in taxes, the estate

00:44:32.510 --> 00:44:35.530
was facing bankruptcy. This naturally led to

00:44:35.530 --> 00:44:39.170
significant legal battles. On August 14, 1981,

00:44:39.510 --> 00:44:41.750
Judge Evans ordered Elvis Presley Enterprises

00:44:41.750 --> 00:44:45.050
to sue Parker for mismanagement. Parker, in turn,

00:44:45.250 --> 00:44:47.750
countersued. Of course he did. The case was eventually

00:44:47.750 --> 00:44:50.659
settled out of court in 1983. The estate paid

00:44:50.659 --> 00:44:54.320
Parker $2 million over $6 .3 million today in

00:44:54.320 --> 00:44:56.659
exchange for all Presley audiovisual rights he

00:44:56.659 --> 00:44:59.019
owned and a termination of his involvement in

00:44:59.019 --> 00:45:01.059
any Presley -related earnings for five years.

00:45:01.239 --> 00:45:02.760
So that was the end of his direct involvement.

00:45:03.019 --> 00:45:05.360
Pretty much. Parker then worked as a consultant

00:45:05.360 --> 00:45:07.559
for Hilton Hotels for several years, with many

00:45:07.559 --> 00:45:09.940
believing he was working to pay off those enormous

00:45:09.940 --> 00:45:12.159
gambling debts owed to the casino from his time

00:45:12.159 --> 00:45:14.539
managing Elvis. He even kept his fourth floor

00:45:14.539 --> 00:45:16.860
suite at the Hilton for a while. However, by

00:45:16.860 --> 00:45:19.579
1984, with his gambling debts reportedly rising

00:45:19.579 --> 00:45:22.239
again, he was evicted. Despite the legal disputes,

00:45:22.579 --> 00:45:24.860
Parker eventually reconciled with the Presley

00:45:24.860 --> 00:45:27.559
estate, attending posthumous events like the

00:45:27.559 --> 00:45:30.760
1993 issuing of a U .S. postage stamp with Elvis's

00:45:30.760 --> 00:45:33.860
likeness, often invited by Priscilla. However,

00:45:34.179 --> 00:45:36.480
he occasionally ruffled feathers by criticizing

00:45:36.480 --> 00:45:39.099
decisions, like Lisa Marie's marriage to Michael

00:45:39.099 --> 00:45:41.780
Jackson in 1994, which he stated Elvis wouldn't

00:45:41.780 --> 00:45:44.039
have approved of. Always had an opinion. Always.

00:45:44.699 --> 00:45:47.039
His defense for his actions was always provocative.

00:45:47.679 --> 00:45:49.760
I don't think I exploited Elvis as much as he's

00:45:49.760 --> 00:45:52.250
being exploited today. The truth about his Dutch

00:45:52.250 --> 00:45:55.510
heritage was publicly confirmed in 1982, partly

00:45:55.510 --> 00:45:58.829
to avert a lawsuit, though his U .S. Army enlistment,

00:45:58.889 --> 00:46:01.409
where he swore allegiance to the U .S., technically

00:46:01.409 --> 00:46:03.829
meant he had renounced Dutch citizenship under

00:46:03.829 --> 00:46:06.110
Dutch law, even if the Dutch government never

00:46:06.110 --> 00:46:09.309
officially revert it. Complex stuff. Very. His

00:46:09.309 --> 00:46:12.170
brother, Adam Ad von Kijk, actually visited him

00:46:12.170 --> 00:46:15.010
back in 1961, informing him that their mother

00:46:15.010 --> 00:46:17.570
had died in 1958 without ever knowing what happened

00:46:17.570 --> 00:46:19.789
to her son. Oh, that's heartbreaking. Parker

00:46:19.789 --> 00:46:22.829
made his last public appearances in 1994, suffering

00:46:22.829 --> 00:46:25.230
from diabetes, gout, and other severe health

00:46:25.230 --> 00:46:28.949
problems. He eventually died on January 24, 1997,

00:46:29.530 --> 00:46:32.610
at age 87 in Las Vegas, Nevada, from complications

00:46:32.610 --> 00:46:35.050
of a stroke. On his death certificate, in addition

00:46:35.050 --> 00:46:37.650
to Thomas Andrew Parker, it explicitly listed

00:46:37.650 --> 00:46:40.070
his birth name as Andreas Cornelis van Kijk,

00:46:40.329 --> 00:46:42.409
his place of birth as the Netherlands and his

00:46:42.409 --> 00:46:45.110
citizenship, albeit incorrectly as American.

00:46:45.449 --> 00:46:48.409
So even in death, the layers of secrecy and contradictions

00:46:48.409 --> 00:46:51.010
surrounding Colonel Tom Parker persisted. His

00:46:51.010 --> 00:46:53.269
funeral was held at the Hilton Hotel, a place

00:46:53.269 --> 00:46:55.949
that figured so prominently in his life and career.

00:46:56.489 --> 00:46:58.650
It was attended by just a handful of friends

00:46:58.650 --> 00:47:00.909
and former associates, including Eddie Arnold

00:47:00.909 --> 00:47:04.059
and Sam Phillips. Priscilla Presley attended,

00:47:04.619 --> 00:47:06.760
representing the Elvis Presley estate, and gave

00:47:06.760 --> 00:47:09.860
a eulogy that, well, to many in the room, perfectly

00:47:09.860 --> 00:47:13.059
summed up Parker. She said, Elvis and the Colonel

00:47:13.059 --> 00:47:15.480
made history together, and the world is richer,

00:47:15.659 --> 00:47:18.000
better, and far more interesting because of their

00:47:18.000 --> 00:47:21.099
collaboration. And now I need to locate my wallet

00:47:21.099 --> 00:47:23.119
because I noticed there was no ticket booth on

00:47:23.119 --> 00:47:25.199
the way in here, but I'm sure that the Colonel

00:47:25.199 --> 00:47:27.179
must have arranged for some toll on the way out.

00:47:27.280 --> 00:47:30.179
Chuckles. That's perfect. Classic Parker. Priscilla

00:47:30.179 --> 00:47:33.159
later reiterated a positive opinion to Tom Hanks,

00:47:33.380 --> 00:47:36.300
actually, who portrayed Parker in the 2022 film

00:47:36.300 --> 00:47:39.059
Elvis, saying he was a lovely man, and Elvis

00:47:39.059 --> 00:47:42.949
was happy to pick him 50%. Parker has been portrayed

00:47:42.949 --> 00:47:45.469
in numerous films and television series, which

00:47:45.469 --> 00:47:47.969
is really a testament to his undeniable impact.

00:47:48.530 --> 00:47:51.230
Pat Hingle played him in the original 1979 TV

00:47:51.230 --> 00:47:54.369
film Elvis, Hugh Gillan and Beau Bridges also

00:47:54.369 --> 00:47:56.980
took on the role. Randy Quaid received Golden

00:47:56.980 --> 00:47:59.239
Globe, Emmy, and Satellite Award nominations

00:47:59.239 --> 00:48:02.019
for his portrayal in the 2005 CBS miniseries

00:48:02.019 --> 00:48:04.760
Elvis. Right. And most recently, as I mentioned,

00:48:05.119 --> 00:48:07.699
Tom Hanks tackled the complex character in Baz

00:48:07.699 --> 00:48:10.980
Luhrmann's 2022 film. The graphic novel The Fifth

00:48:10.980 --> 00:48:13.679
Beetle even portrays Parker as this gluttonous,

00:48:13.960 --> 00:48:16.980
satanic figure who was anti -Semitic, contrasting

00:48:16.980 --> 00:48:19.039
his management style with that of Brian Epstein.

00:48:19.179 --> 00:48:21.260
He was also apparently an inspiration for the

00:48:21.260 --> 00:48:23.719
character of Mr. Eustace Haney in the classic

00:48:23.719 --> 00:48:26.920
TV series, Greenacres. Get out, Mr. Haney. That's

00:48:26.920 --> 00:48:28.619
hilarious. OK, so we've journeyed through the

00:48:28.619 --> 00:48:31.260
incredible, often very murky story of Colonel

00:48:31.260 --> 00:48:34.019
Tom Parker from Andreas Carnelis van Kijk, the

00:48:34.019 --> 00:48:37.059
Dutch immigrant, to the ruthless, brilliant manager

00:48:37.059 --> 00:48:40.159
who built an absolutely unparalleled empire around

00:48:40.159 --> 00:48:43.019
Elvis Presley. His life was just a masterclass

00:48:43.019 --> 00:48:45.360
in self -invention, marketing, and unwavering

00:48:45.360 --> 00:48:47.980
control, marked by both strategic genius and,

00:48:48.119 --> 00:48:51.000
let's face it, profound ethical failing. A real

00:48:51.000 --> 00:48:53.920
mix. You hopefully now understand the complex

00:48:53.920 --> 00:48:57.179
tapestry of secrecy, ambition and sheer showmanship

00:48:57.179 --> 00:49:00.059
that defined his career and how it directly shaped

00:49:00.059 --> 00:49:02.739
the legend of Elvis Presley, making him a global

00:49:02.739 --> 00:49:06.000
icon while at the same time simultaneously confining

00:49:06.000 --> 00:49:08.880
him to what really felt like a gilded cage. Yeah,

00:49:08.880 --> 00:49:11.300
that's a good way to put it. Given Parker's hidden

00:49:11.300 --> 00:49:14.260
past, his clear aversion to international travel,

00:49:14.780 --> 00:49:17.340
those enormous gambling debts and his relentless

00:49:17.340 --> 00:49:20.019
focus on immediate financial gain often over

00:49:20.019 --> 00:49:23.260
artistic growth. It raises an important question

00:49:23.260 --> 00:49:26.059
for you, the listener, to ponder. Could Elvis

00:49:26.059 --> 00:49:27.820
Presley have achieved even greater heights of

00:49:27.820 --> 00:49:31.139
artistic expression and global reach? Maybe even

00:49:31.139 --> 00:49:33.179
touring the world, as his popularity demanded,

00:49:33.460 --> 00:49:35.699
if he had found a manager less driven by personal

00:49:35.699 --> 00:49:37.960
demons and perhaps more aligned with his artistic

00:49:37.960 --> 00:49:40.519
aspirations. Or was Parker's unique blend of

00:49:40.519 --> 00:49:42.760
ruthlessness and carnival showmanship the only

00:49:42.760 --> 00:49:44.960
way to forge the king in that particular era?

00:49:45.400 --> 00:49:47.699
What do you think stands out the most from Parker's

00:49:47.699 --> 00:49:49.260
deep dive? Something to think about.