![]() ![]() He was the son of Maria Elisabeth (call sign: Marie) Ponsie and Adam van Kuijk. Thomas Andrew Parker was born as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk on June 26, 1909, in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands, and was the seventh of eleven children. Parker's final years were spent living in Las Vegas, in increasingly poor health, until his death in 1997. Having previously sold the rights to Presley's early recordings to RCA, he struggled to secure a steady income and his financial situation worsened after he sustained significant gambling losses. In later years, Parker's influence waned, but he continued in his management role until Presley's death in 1977.įor the rest of his life, Parker managed the Presley estate. Parker encouraged Presley to make film musicals which became the focus of his career during his commercial decline in the 1960s until his 1968 comeback and return to touring. He negotiated Presley's lucrative merchandising deals and media appearances, as well as influenced his personal life, including Presley's decisions to accept military service in 1958 and to marry Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967. Parker was able to receive more than half of the income from the enterprise, an unprecedented figure for a music manager. With Parker's help, Presley signed a recording contract with RCA Victor, leading to his commercial breakthrough in 1956 with his sixth single " Heartbreak Hotel" and propelling him to become one of the most popular and commercially successful entertainers in the world. Parker encountered Presley in 1955, and by 1956 had become his primary representative. As a reward, Davis gave him the honorary rank of " colonel" in the Louisiana State Militia. He also assisted Jimmie Davis' campaign to become governor of Louisiana. A carnival worker by background, Parker moved into music promotion in 1938, working with one of the first popular crooners, Gene Austin, and then country music singers Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow, and Tommy Sands. He adopted a new name and claimed to have been born in the United States. Thomas Andrew Parker (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk June 26, 1909 – January 21, 1997), commonly known as Colonel Parker, was a musical entrepreneur, best known for being Elvis Presley's manager.īorn in the Netherlands, Parker entered the United States illegally when he was 20 years old.
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