Country Music Hall of Fame to Open Exhibit on Colonel Parker in September
By: For Elvis Fans Only
Source: EPE
September 15, 2009 - 11:54:07 AM
Elvis News



Mysterious and shrewd, Colonel Tom Parker revolutionized the business of promotion and management while guiding the careers of Eddy Arnold, Elvis Presley, and others.

Marking the hundredth birth anniversary of the late music industry legend, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will pay tribute to Parker in a spotlight exhibit featuring personal photos, correspondence, documents, apparel, a scrapbook, and other artifacts from throughout his controversial career.

The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley.
'We never even knew he was from another country. Elvis never knew it. We just thought he was this guy from Tennessee. His name was Colonel - like Colonel Sanders'.

Jerry Schilling, like other members of Elvis Presley's Memphis Mafia, says the mysterious Colonel Tom Parker, an illegal immigrant from the Netherlands, concealed his past so well that he was still a riddle when he died at 87.

Parker, who sometimes seemed as flamboyant as Presley, was a tireless promoter of the rock star he sometimes referred to as 'my act'. He was also his own act, a Dutchman named Andreas Cornelis van Kujik who reinvented himself as Thomas Andrew Parker, the P. T. Barnum of rock and roll.

Biographer Alanna Nash, who spent six years researching Parker for a newly released biography, says she ended with mixed feelings about the roly-poly man whose accent sometimes made him seem to lisp. Parker died in 1997, two decades after Elvis, leaving supporters and detractors who still seem to ask themselves: "Who was that masked man?"

'I go from finding him extremely distasteful to having some sympathy for him', Nash said this week. 'I don't think anyone could have made (Elvis) the star that Colonel Parker did. I think he genuinely thought they were a team, and that he saw Elvis as a young, far more handsome alter ego'.

Her book, The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley, speculates Parker might have fled Holland after bludgeoning a woman to death with a crowbar. 'I don't know whether he murdered that woman, but something horrible happened', Nash said of her exhaustive study of Parker.

(Nash, who lives in Louisville, Ky., will sign her book at 7 tonight at Davis-Kidd Booksellers, 387 Perkins Ext. in Laurelwood.)

Parker hid his past from the rest of the world, and cut ties to his family except for occasional, odd notes in which he sometimes referred to himself in the third person.

In America, Parker decided to call himself 'Colonel' after a long search for a suitable title (he had first called himself 'Gov'). Eventually he would be named an honorary Tennessee colonel. It was a fitting title for a man who began as a carnival animal trainer, concessionaire, barker and promoter, and came to manage the world's biggest act.

Parker meant different things to the different people closest to Elvis. Schilling says he often disagreed with the colonel, but describes Parker as somewhat likeable. 'I don't think the colonel was a truly bad guy. I think he was intimidating. I think he was old school. I don't think the colonel ever understood rock-and-roll music. Elvis outgrew the colonel. He wanted to experiment, but the colonel wouldn't let him'.

Schilling says Elvis felt 'indebted for all the things the colonel did for him', and kept a soft spot for his mentor, despite growing resentment in his final years. 'There was a respect between these two guys and a certain love'.

Parker exacted 50 percent or more of the proceeds from Presley's career, which has led to the harshest criticism of his role as the entertainer's manager. But Memphis Mafia member Joe Esposito, now in Sacramento, Calif., says Parker did far more for Elvis than a normal manager. 'Sure he took more than 25 percent, but there aren't many managers who devote themselves to one artist. The colonel never wanted a stable (of artists)'. Major stars, including actress Natalie Wood, had tried to get Parker to manage them, he says.

In the book, Parker is quoted as coyly denying that he took 50 percent of Elvis's earnings. 'He takes 50 percent of everything I earn', Parker said.

Esposito considers the speculation about a murder in Nash's book reckless. 'To say somebody is a murderer and have no proof of it, I have no respect for her. Any man who loves animals and kids the way he did can't be a bad person'.

Esposito says Parker also is unfairly blamed for 'forcing' Elvis to star in a string of embarrassing B-movies. He says Elvis's contracts were seven-picture deals. 'When you have a commitment, you have to do it', he says of the movies that played a pivotal role in Elvis's fame, including as cross-pollination for his musical career. Unfortunately, says Esposito of those movies: 'There are only so many animals and little kids you can sing to'.

As for accusations that the colonel seemed unwilling to intercede against his client's drug use, Esposito says Elvis began taking amphetamines in the Army to stay awake during maneuvers. Toward the end, he says, Parker encouraged Elvis to take a break, but Elvis refused. 'You can't make a 42-year-old man do what he doesn't want to do', Esposito said.

Marty Lacker, a member of the Memphis Mafia, says Elvis had no business savvy or skills and that he relied on Parker for anything to do with contracts and deals. Lacker says he thought of Parker as a "hustler and scam artist" who abused Elvis's reliance on him. 'If Parker ever thought Elvis was going to be around somebody who would (influence) him, Parker did his utmost to end that relationship'.

At Graceland, chief executive officer Jack Soden says he had become a friend of the colonel before he died in spite of a legal battle in which Parker lost his grasp on the Elvis estate. 'The thing you can't argue with is that he had to be one of the most colorful individuals who ever came into the entertainment arena in the United States'.

Whether Elvis would have become the legend he did without Parker, is a matter of debate. Parker kept almost as grueling a schedule as Elvis, booking, promoting and managing Elvis and acting as his public relations firm. 'He worked his tail off his whole life', Soden says.

'Sometimes he was very shrewd and creative, sometimes very heavy handed and sometimes a bully. . . . Some say he was the greatest showman of all. Some say he was the devil incarnate. I don't think there will ever be a verdict'.

Exclusive Audio of Colonel Tom Parker Plus Video from His Personal Archives.




Now, just for Elvis Insiders, we've gone deep into the EPE archives and found something new we're certain you've never heard before. This telephone conversation is between a frustrated Colonel Parker and an RCA executive, regarding an album shipment that had not arrived. Following that is a discussion about both national and international record sales. Listening to this conversation offers the listener a fascinating glimpse into the business style and personality of Colonel Parker.

To complete the experience, the audio has been edited with archival video shot in 1990, when Elvis Presley Enterprises obtained Colonel Tom Parker's business archives. Included in the acquisition were Elvis-related artifacts, images, and documents. Among the valuable collection was Elvis' gold lame suit, the tablecloth for the contract for the 1969 International Hotel engagements in Las Vegas and a Cadillac Elvis gave Colonel Parker as a gift.

This Fall, The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville is paying tribute to Colonel Parker in a spotlight exhibit featuring personal photos, correspondence, documents, apparel, a scrapbook, and other artifacts from throughout his career.


2009/09/25 EPE / www.epgold.com

Colonel CMHOF Exhibit


COLONEL TOM PARKER SPOTLIGHT EXHIBIT OPENS AT THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME® AND MUSEUM
New Spotlight Exhibit Examines the Groundbreaking Career of Elvis Presley’s Longtime Manager
Posted: 9/25/2009
NASHVILLE, Tenn., September 25, 2009 – This year marks the late Colonel Tom Parker’s centennial. To honor the revolutionary music business figure, who served as Elvis Presley’s longtime manager, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum unveils a special spotlight exhibit dedicated to his life and career. The exhibit, which is located within the Museum’s permanent exhibition and titled after one of Parker’s famous slogans, The Colonel Says, “How Much Does It Cost If It’s Free,” is now open and will run through March 2010.
Incorporating photographs, business documents, letters, apparel and promotional materials from the Museum’s collection and from Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc., “Graceland,” the exhibit will trace Parker’s life and career, from his days as an immigrant carnival worker to his time as a powerful, pioneering artist manager.
Colonel Parker managed Elvis Presley from 1955 until the singer’s death in 1977. Prior to managing Presley, Parker helped transform Eddy Arnold into a country superstar with his own radio shows, movie roles, Las Vegas bookings, and an unparalleled resumé of #1 records. In steering the careers of both men, Parker revolutionized the artist management role, displaying an unprecedented marketing savvy while exercising near-total control. His energetic, all-encompassing management style created a blueprint that is still followed today.
Parker, a purposeful, perceptive, and mysterious character, was born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk in Breda, Holland, and entered the United States illegally in 1929. After serving in the Army for three years in Hawaii, he moved to Florida, where he joined the Johnny J. Jones and Royal American carnivals, passing himself off as a native West Virginian under the name of his former commanding officer, Thomas Parker.
After several years of carnival life, Parker settled down and became director of the Tampa Humane Society (he was, among other things, Tampa’s chief dog officer) where he developed a remunerative range of pet service-pitches that translated seamlessly into showbiz promotion.
He started off with Gene Austin, Roy Acuff, and Ernest Tubb, focusing at first on Florida tours exclusively but gradually expanding his show-business activities until in 1944 he met Eddy Arnold on a Jamup & Honey tent show. He managed Arnold as his exclusive client from 1945 until 1953, developing a range of unique promotions that helped make the singer one of the most prolific hit-making artists of all time.
By early 1955, Parker had set his sights on the emerging Elvis Presley, whom he placed as an opening act on tours by his new client, Hank Snow. By August, Parker had acquired a controlling interest in Presley’s management contract, and two months later set up a deal for RCA to purchase Presley’s contract from Sun Records for the unheard-of sum of $35,000.
Under Parker’s exclusive guidance, Presley went on to become one of the most influential cultural figures of the twentieth century—a tribute to a talent and a gift for communication that continues to defy definition. Parker secured for Presley broad national exposure through television at a time when other managers feared that the new medium would undercut the value of personal appearances. Calling the shots in Hollywood, Parker made Presley a #1 box-office star and kept the entertainer’s career alive during his two-year stint in the Army.
Among the artifacts on display in The Colonel Says, “How Much Does It Cost If It’s Free” are:
• Button, press kit and other promotional materials generated by Parker for his clients
• Eddy Arnold scrapbook assembled by Parker’s office, illustrating the large number of news articles and advertisements generated for his clients
• Plaster bust of Parker sculpted by Marvin Thompson in 1972. Parker commissioned the rendering and gave it to Eddy Arnold as a gift.
• Two of Parker’s prized belt buckles, including a gold elephant belt buckle given to him as a gift from Elvis Presley. Inscribed on the back: “To the Colonel ‘Who Never Forgets’—Elvis—July, 1973.”
• Two of Parker’s handpainted shop coats, which Parker often wore to promote various Presley projects and achievements
• Personal correspondence from Parker, including a1955 telegram to Sun Records founder Sam Phillips, in which Parker explains his new role as Presley’s manager
In addition, a special lecture by esteemed Elvis Presley biographer and music historian Peter Guralnick is now available to view on the Museum’s Web site. In the lecture, which took place at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in April this year, Guralnick explored ways in which Parker was both a visionary genius and a master of what he called the art of “exploitation.” Guralnick also served as an exhibit consultant to The Colonel Says, “How Much Does It Cost If It’s Free.”

Spotlight exhibits are narratives that supplement themes or aspects of the Museum’s core exhibition, Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music. These short-term, informal displays either provide a closer look at a particular person or aspect of country music, or spotlight recently donated items or special anniversaries. Rotated often, spotlight exhibits also offer a glimpse into the Museum’s unique collection, which includes recorded discs, historical photographs, films and videotapes; thousands of posters, books, songbooks, periodicals and sheet music; personal artifacts such as performers’ instruments, costumes and accessories; and more.
Other current spotlight exhibits focus on Trace Adkins, John Hartford, Carrie Underwood and Porter Wagoner.

Watch lecture

Colonel Exhibit at CMHOF



Elvis Unlimited had a special preview of the NEW Colonel Parker exhibit at Nashville's Country Music Hall Of Fame. The exhibit includes many items from various periods throughout the Colonel's career. Spanning from Eddie Arnold to Elvis.

The Colonel had these coats hand painted to promote Elvis' upcoming movie, Fun In Acapulco in 1963. They also promoted every Presley project ever done! You can see MANY more photos and read exclusive details about this exhibit in the upcoming issue number 43 of Elvis Unlimited. You saw it FIRST at elvisunlimited.com!