Two things: Elvis was enormously respectful of the Colonel and gave him a lot of credit for his success. Elvis was very unsophisticated and preferred to navigate the world of celebrity with the people who helped get him there. He probably got pitched more than a few times by other agents but his stock response was "Colonel Parker got me where I am today, I'd be nowhere without him". Answer from ISuspectFuckery on reddit.com
Luxury London
luxurylondon.co.uk › home › tom parker: the scandalous story of elvis presley and the illegal dutchman
Tom Parker: The scandalous story of Elvis Presley and the illegal Dutchman
November 15, 2024 - The Colonel himself ended up being the greatest sucker of them all, giving back almost his entire fortune to the Hilton croupiers. Whatever it was that forced Andreas Cornelis Dries van Kuijk to flee the Netherlands, never making contact with ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/music › why didn't anybody rescue elvis from colonel parker?
r/Music on Reddit: Why didn't anybody rescue Elvis from Colonel Parker?
June 28, 2022 -
Elvis had a lot of friends among the rich and powerful. It seems as though better representation would have been easy to acquire. What am I missing?
Thank you.
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Two things: Elvis was enormously respectful of the Colonel and gave him a lot of credit for his success. Elvis was very unsophisticated and preferred to navigate the world of celebrity with the people who helped get him there. He probably got pitched more than a few times by other agents but his stock response was "Colonel Parker got me where I am today, I'd be nowhere without him".
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I'm guessing you saw the Elvis movie, which I did too, and it made me fucking sick. Such talent, such potential, and – despite what most people think – was at the top of his game when he started in Vegas. He could have gone on to such wonderful things. I think it fundamentally comes down to Elvis not seeing himself as Elvis, but as a scared little boy subservient to a fake-colonel huckster. When Elvis almost got away and was about to set off to tour Europe and Japan, the threat of the Colonel's lawsuit was enough to keep him grounded. YOU'RE ELVIS! You could get the world on your side and sue that asshole for everything he's worth and expose his fraud. But he never did and didn't see himself as the force he was. His Dad enabled his downfall, as did his "Memphis Mafia." What an absolute waste of potential. And so sad. The financial abuse was disgusting. I left the movie feeling sorry for him and pitying him. What a shame.
Why didn't anybody rescue Elvis from Colonel Parker?
Two things: Elvis was enormously respectful of the Colonel and gave him a lot of credit for his success. Elvis was very unsophisticated and preferred to navigate the world of celebrity with the people who helped get him there. He probably got pitched more than a few times by other agents but his stock response was "Colonel Parker got me where I am today, I'd be nowhere without him". More on reddit.com
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June 28, 202283 year old Colonel Tom Parker gambling in Las Vegas. This is from Dutch television and it's rare footage. 1993
He worked Elvis to an early grave to be able to afford his gambling addiction. And he continued to gamble until he finally kicked the bucket at an old age. It's just so unfair. More on reddit.com
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June 29, 2022Why did Elvis stay with the Colonel?
Gladys always felt something was off about the colonel. She warned Elvis to be careful. Vernon saw dollar signs, and Elvis saw a way to take care of the family and lift them out of poverty. Therefore, they ignored her warnings, assuring her that everything would be ok. In later years, Elvis always threatened to leave the colonel, but the few times he confronted him, the colonel would blackmail him by saying that he made Elvis, and that Elvis would be back in the poor house if he left him. He gave Elvis an exorbitant price to break the contract, which Elvis wanted to pay, but Vernon said they would be broke if they paid that price. I think Elvis lacked business sense, and Vernon had more than Elvis, but still limited. The colonel knew that, so he blackmailed them. In reality, it was the colonel who would’ve gone bust without Elvis. Plus, he had severe gambling debts that wouldn’t be paid off without the income Elvis gave him. More on reddit.com
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October 6, 2022owing the Colonel $8.5 million
If I had to guess it’d be a combination of loyalty and naiveté. The Col. got him going, got him to that superstar status. So he stayed loyal. Naiveté because Elvis was the worlds first major superstar. No other artist reached the level of stardom Elvis had prior to the 1950s. Because of that, it was an unmapped roadtrip. Nobody knew where they were going or what they were doing. More on reddit.com
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September 5, 2022Videos
15:58
How Elvis Lost $100 Million—and Never Saw It Coming - YouTube
43:22
How Colonel Parker Controlled Elvis – The Shocking True Story ...
r/Elvis on Reddit: 83 year old Colonel Tom Parker gambling in Las ...
10:23
The Truth About Elvis Presley's Relationship With Colonel Tom Parker ...
03:39
Colonel Parker: Villain or Visionary of Elvis's Legacy? - YouTube
The Man Who Imprisoned Elvis Presley
ACAMS Today
acamstoday.org › elvis-and-the-fraud-triangle
Elvis and the Fraud Triangle - ACAMS Today
April 26, 2024 - Presley died in 1977 from a heart attack likely brought on by his addiction to prescription barbiturates. According to the movie, Parker’s frauds against Presley were exposed in a series of 1980s lawsuits involving Presley’s estate.
Two things: Elvis was enormously respectful of the Colonel and gave him a lot of credit for his success. Elvis was very unsophisticated and preferred to navigate the world of celebrity with the people who helped get him there. He probably got pitched more than a few times by other agents but his stock response was "Colonel Parker got me where I am today, I'd be nowhere without him". Answer from ISuspectFuckery on reddit.com
Britannica
britannica.com › politics, law & government › businesspeople & entrepreneurs
What was controversial about Colonel Tom Parker’s management of Elvis Presley? | Britannica
November 3, 2025 - Colonel Tom Parker charged exceptionally high fees, at times as high as 50 percent of Elvis Presley’s earnings. Furthermore, he made several deals that were not in Presley’s best interest. In 1973 he sold Presley’s entire back catalog to RCA for $5.4 million and took half the buyout sum. The buyout meant that Presley would no longer receive royalties for all his hits of the 1950s and ’60s. After his death in 1977, Presley’s estate sued Parker for fraud and mismanagement. The case was settled in 1983. Did Colonel Tom Parker have a U.S.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Colonel_Tom_Parker
Colonel Tom Parker - Wikipedia
15 hours ago - Tiwary claimed in an interview that Parker did make those comments. In the TV series Vinyl, Richie Finestra (portrayed by Bobby Cannavale), president of record label American Century, meets Elvis Presley (portrayed by Shawn Klush) in 1973, in Las Vegas. Richie attempts to convince Elvis to stop singing in Las Vegas and instead focus on making new, creative music, acting like a true king. The Colonel (portrayed by Gene Jones) gets furious when he finds out Richie was going behind his back and talking about papers with Elvis and has Elvis point a gun at him.
South China Morning Post
scmp.com › magazines › style › celebrities
Who was Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley’s controversial manager?
August 1, 2022 - Played by Tom Hanks in the Elvis film, Parker allegedly stole over half of the King’s millions, but he’s also credited with reinventing American popular culture …
Quora
quora.com › Did-Col-Tom-Parker-ever-betray-or-steal-from-Elvis-Presley
Did Col. Tom Parker ever betray or steal from Elvis Presley? - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): Oh my gosh yes. The Colonel as manager was taking 50% of Elvis’ money when the usual manager take was 10%. Rumored near the end he was taking 60% when Elvis was being so drugged he wouldn’t notice.
Florida Humanities
floridahumanities.org › home › the colonel
The Colonel | Florida Humanities
July 7, 2024 - He had made an estimated $100 million from Presley’s career, surely the richest haul made by any carny in history, but the audacious imposter who gained worldwide renown as “Colonel” Tom Parker gambled most of it away. Bob Kealing is the author of four books on Florida history and culture, including “Elvis ignited, The Rise of an Icon in Florida.” He is a six-time regional Emmy Award-winning journalist and two-time recipient of the Edward R.
Dallas Louis
dallaslouis.com › home › mommy blog › the colonel
The Colonel - Dallas Louis
August 19, 2022 - The Colonel did this…in front of millions of people. Parker manipulated Elvis as if he meant no more to him than the poor chickens that appear to “dance” in a carnival sideshow, when in reality, those poor chickens are hopping because they are standing on a false floor made from a hot plate.
GoodtoKnow
goodto.com › entertainment
Did Elvis fire the Colonel on stage and what happened to him after Elvis died? | GoodtoKnow
February 22, 2024 - It was this that led to the argument between him and the Colonel. Though speculations as to the actual figure differs, it is widely believed that Colonel Parker took 50 per cent of Elvis' earnings.
Book and Film Globe
bookandfilmglobe.com › home › elvis and the real colonel parker
Elvis and the Real Colonel Parker - Book and Film Globe
August 11, 2025 - The standard view of Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley’s manager, is that he was a shyster, a conniving conman who manipulated Presley as he saw fit, pushing him into the army, then into a series of lousy movies, and finally onto never-ending tours, all while bilking his client for every dollar he could get his hands on.
Vanity Fair
vanityfair.com › hollywood › what *elvis* gets right—and wrong—about the real colonel tom parker
What Elvis Gets Right—And Wrong—About the Real Colonel Tom Parker | Vanity Fair
June 30, 2022 - The shock of hearing Colonel Parker say his Dutch name, something he had ferociously protected from the world for 65 years, made me mute. Finally, he turned to Loanne. “Get your picture back.” · “She’s not going to steal it, Colonel,” Loanne laughed. But the Colonel trusted no one. He was a carny to the last, even if for one second, unlike with FDR’s old Potomac, he had presented the side he never wanted to show. Alanna Nash has written four books about Elvis, including The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley.
Desototimes
desototimes.com › lifestyle › elvis-and-colonel-tom-parker-formed-greatest-partnership-in-showbiz-history › article_6ef3caae-9517-11ee-9749-d3f29c356ad3.html
Elvis and Colonel Tom Parker formed greatest partnership in showbiz history | Lifestyle | desototimes.com
December 7, 2023 - Another myth the book dispels is that Colonel Parker took 50 percent of what Elvis earned. Terrill said the reality is that Colonel Parker received 25 percent of record and movie deals and split merchandising 50-50.
Facebook
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Did Colonel Parker Steal From Elvis Presley_
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Financial Times
ft.com › content › 102540f0-43d7-4f5a-86bc-3043aa6fd35b
Colonel Tom Parker manipulated and exploited Elvis Presley. Or did he?
August 2, 2025 - The singer’s manager has long been seen as the original exploitative pop Svengali. A new book aims to explode that narrative
Quora
quora.com › Did-Elvis-make-a-big-mistake-trusting-Colonel-Parker
Did Elvis make a big mistake trusting Colonel Parker? - Quora
Answer (1 of 5): No I don't think so. They may have had their differences over the years and Colonel Parker did have him sign a movie contract that tied him up for years. One has to remember the movie companies were much different in 1956 than ...
Medium
medium.com › @daratucker › was-elvis-a-song-thief-875e3add94f7
Was Elvis a Song Thief?. Did the ‘King of Pop’ Steal His… | by Dara Starr Tucker | Medium
January 10, 2024 - By all accounts, Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker was a thief who often negotiated co-writing credits for Elvis & a share of the publishing for himself in exchange for having Elvis cover a songwriter’s music.
The Cinemaholic
thecinemaholic.com › home › colonel parker net worth: how much did colonel parker steal from elvis?
Colonel Parker Net Worth: How Much Did Colonel Parker Steal From Elvis?
November 14, 2024 - It was just an oversight, but there were hundreds of thousands of dollars that Elvis never received as a songwriter,” as per Nash’s ‘The Colonel.’ · Even though Parker never believed that he was stealing from Elvis, the law did.
Medium
shelrochaleal.medium.com › elvis-presley-vs-the-colonel-387ce4fd52b6
Elvis Presley: Where did the millions go? | by Sheldon Rocha Leal, PhD | Medium
September 2, 2019 - One of these court cases was an investigation of Elvis Presley’s financial matters, which revealed the extent of the deception and unfair practices to which the King had been subjected to by his manager and dad. One of the findings of the case was that the Colonel was initially taking a 25% commission for any work generated, at the beginning of Elvis’ career (which was considered exorbitant).
YouTube
youtube.com › unreal documentary
How Colonel Tom Parker stole all of Elvis Presley's money - YouTube
This video delves into the fascinating relationship between Elvis Presley and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. From their initial meeting to the secrets surr...
Published February 2, 2024 Views 6K