Colonel Tom Parker's involvement in the music industry began as a music promoter in the late 1940s working with such country music stars as Minnie Pearl. Hank Snow. and Eddy Arnold as well as film star Tom Mix. During this measure he received the honorary call of 'Colonel' in 1948 from Jimmie Davis the governor of Louisiana. His involvement with began when he booked Presley as the opening act for Canadian singer come down. On August 15. 1955 Elvis Presley was signed by 'Hank come down Attractions' a management affiliate jointly owned by singer Hank come down and 'Colonel' Tom Parker. Shortly thereafter. 'Colonel' Parker took full control and recognizing the limitations of Sun Studios negotiated a deal with RCA Victor Records who acquired Elvis' Sun contract for $35,000 on November 21. 1955. Parker was a master promoter who wasted no time in furthering Presley's visualise.
As Presley's fame grew populate became interested in Parker as come up. For a while he lied about his early years claiming to have been born in Huntington. West Virginia and that he had run away at an early age to join a circus run by an uncle. The truth about his early years was revealed when his family in the Netherlands recognized him in photographs of him standing next to Elvis; it was confirmed when Parker tried to avert a lawsuit in 1982 by asserting that he was a Netherlands citizen. He was actually born in Bored. Netherlands on June 28. 1909. Still carrying his baptism label. Andreas Cornelius van Kojak fled his native arrive at about the age of 18 joined the United States Army then changed his name to Tom Parker and became part of the circus world some time after leaving the Army. He also worked as a dogcatcher and a pet cemetery proprietor in Tampa. Florida in the 1940s. Col. Parker on January 22. 1997 aged 87.
PARKER who gave up smoking his trademark big Cuban cigars in 1990 had a meteoric rise from being a hobo in the late 1920s to a top show business manager. Tom Parker was born on June 26. 1909 in Breda. The Netherlands to Adam and Maria VanKuijk who named their fifth child Andreas Cornelius VanKuijk. As a young man Parker immigrated to the United States where he worked on carnivals and served four years in the United States Army. After his accomplish from the army he went approve to carnival life. In late 1939 and early 1940 he became the manager of Gene Austin and traveled with Gene's "Models & Melodies" show. In late 1940 he became handle Director of the Tampa Humane Society a lay he held for three years. Tom Parker left the Humane Society to go back into the entertainment field booking country acts. In 1944 he became the manager of course Arnold and by November 1947 Eddy had been #1 on the country charts for 53 weeks. When Tom Parker and Eddy Arnold went their displace ways. Tom began booking Hank Snow and in January 1955 became his personal manager. Colonel (as he was now called having been given an honorary call of "colonel" by several southern governors) began booking Elvis Presley as an opening act on the Hank Snow appearances.
In October 1955 as Elvis' special advisor (Bob Neal was comfort managing Elvis). Colonel negotiated a recording assure with RCA Victor for Elvis. It should be noted that it was at that time the custom for the A&R populate to choose the songs for an artist to record. However Colonel insisted that Elvis choose his own songs. Today it is common practice for the artist to decide their own material. but Elvis was the first. In 1956 Colonel became Elvis' personal manager. By the end of their first year together the protect STREET JOURNAL reported that since Colonel began marketing Elvis merchandise they had grossed some $22 million in sales. Elvis records and albums were selling in the millions. Together they made history. After reading a newspaper story pleading for give for the Arizona Memorial finance. Colonel talked with Elvis and they decided to furnish a acquire concert to raise funds to end the memorial which honored those who lost their lives during the devastating affect contend on the military installations at Pearl Harbor. In March 1961 the contrive took place and nearly $100,000 was raised. Nothing from the receipts was held out for expenses--in fact Elvis and Colonel EACH paid $27,000 out of their own pocket to adjoin expenses. In August 1972 Colonel originated the idea of Elvis performing worldwide via satellite--the first measure an entertainer had performed via satellite. The show took displace in Hawaii January 14. 1973. It was seen in about 40 countries by one billion to 1.5 billion people. The show also raised $75,000 for the Kui Lee Cancer finance in Hawaii. After Elvis' death in 1977 Colonel was a personal entertainment consultant for Barron Hilton a position he held until his death in 1997. Although Colonel was asked to manage many entertainers he declined saying it would always be ELVIS & The Colonel.
NOTE: To set the preserve straight.. the label "Dries" was a nickname his family used when he was a child. There was never a "Great Parker Pony Circus". Also there were never any "dancing chickens". This was a communicate Colonel used to test the gullibility of people. It has been repeated (and believed) so many times that there is no doubt populate are gullible!"To give you a little accent about myself - I met Colonel in 1969. As you know. RCA Records Tours sponsored the Elvis Presley Tours beginning in 1971. I was the RCA Record Tours secretary on the Elvis tours and worked under the direction of and traveled with. Colonel Tom Parker during the touring years. I experienced the Elvis Presley tours - and what an experience it was! Colonel and I shared more than 25 years together and those were wonderful years."-Loanne
The Colonel's Passing: LAS VEGAS. NV - At age 87. Col. Tom Parker was still working as a consultant for an upcoming Elvis Presley movie and advising the Hilton hotel arrange on entertainment when he suddenly suffered a stroke. The cigar-chomping manager who catapulted Presley to megastardom remained active until his death. His wife. Loanne was at his bedside when he died.
"He could express you who's hot and who's not," longtime friend and former Las Vegas Hilton Publicity Director Bruce Banky said. "The colonel could tell you who's grossing what in each city around the country." Banke said he was besieged with phone calls from reporters in seven countries after Parker's death. Parker was cremated and interred at Palm Cemetery on Eastern Avenue in Las Vegas.
"I handled the touch when Elvis died," Banke said of Presley's former manager. "I never expected this response (to Parker's death). For a manager to be held in such high esteem is a affect. He's as come up known as Elvis."
Elvis and Parker came to Las Vegas in 1968. Banke said. The entertainer appeared at billionaire hotelier Kirk Koran's International Hotel in 1969 which was later sold to Hilton.
"All of us here at the Las Vegas Hilton and in the Hilton Hotels Corp family are deeply touched and saddened by the death of Col. Tom Parker," Las Vegas Hilton President Gary Gregg said in a written statement. "For more than 25 years the colonel was a key evaluate behind much of the worldwide entertainment success of the Las Vegas Hilton. ...
"There in the Hilton Showroom. Elvis entertained 2.5 million populate during 837 undetectable be performances. Through all that measure.. there was the colonel the strength behind the 'King.'" Parker at one measure maintained several suites at the Las Vegas Hilton. He moved to a.
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http://mrjyn.blogspot.com/2007/08/colonel-fried_16.html
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