What Col. Parker did....right.

[Simon1]

Actually, I don't think EP really wanted to do that movie. I think he was too far gone at this point. It was more comfortable for him to do another tour, another Vegas stand. To be forced to clean up and do a great job for the movie would only have put extra pressure on him. If he really wanted to do it, I don't think Parker would have stopped him - or could have stopped him, for that matter. JMO!

Keith Richards, Jr.

My thoughts exactly, whatever Elvis really wanted to do, he did, simple as that. That's why I think he never really wanted to tour the world either. Essentially Elvis was a ''lazy'' artist, let's face it, he was the greatest but he settled down real quick every time, not much creativity.
I am amazed how Parker gets the bum rap every time, what went good was because of Elvis and what went wrong was because of Parker.
Life isn't that black and white.
Elvis often used Parker as his scapegoat, if he didn't feel like doing something he told Parker to go and tell that it was not possible.
People often underestimate Elvis' strong will.
Cheers
Simon

[Me]

You nailed it. Nobody forced him to do anything or forced him not to do anything. If someone wants to do something bad enough they do it. And if a person wants to do something but they don't pursue it it's their own fault. nobody else's.

[InMemphis]

back to the original question on this thread, what did the Col do that was right?

I'd say when he settled out of court.

[Pete Dube]

You're not telling me anything I don't know. Regardless, he was still in better shape at the time of the movie than Elvis was in 1977.

Agreed. But it was 1975 when Elvis got the offer, and he did lose a bit of weight for the May-June tour. I wonder if this weight loss was sparked by the movie offer?

[Pete Dube]

When he woke up from a bender and found he starred in a horrible remake of "A Star is Born" it probably set him straight.

Actually Bike, after seeing the movie Kristofferson probably went on the bender of all benders!

Heck, just the thought that it could've been Elvis swappin' spit with Babs makes me want to go on a bender!

[Pete Dube]

Back to the topic. What did Parker do right? He stopped taking up precious oxygen.

[3577]

Actually, I don't think EP really wanted to do that movie. I think he was too far gone at this point. It was more comfortable for him to do another tour, another Vegas stand. To be forced to clean up and do a great job for the movie would only have put extra pressure on him. If he really wanted to do it, I don't think Parker would have stopped him - or could have stopped him, for that matter. JMO!

Keith Richards, Jr.

My thoughts exactly, whatever Elvis really wanted to do, he did, simple as that. That's why I think he never really wanted to tour the world either. Essentially Elvis was a ''lazy'' artist, let's face it, he was the greatest but he settled down real quick every time, not much creativity.
I am amazed how Parker gets the bum rap every time, what went good was because of Elvis and what went wrong was because of Parker.
Life isn't that black and white.
Elvis often used Parker as his scapegoat, if he didn't feel like doing something he told Parker to go and tell that it was not possible.
People often underestimate Elvis' strong will.
Cheers
Simon

I cant imagne he didnt want to tour around the world. Explain why he got so bored with Vegas? And the drug-issue in foreign country's...............well there's always a solution. As for the Colonel, im not amazed why he gets all the sh*t. Most of it he's to blame. Period. You really must have a heart of stone, to let somebody work, who at sometimes barely could walk. This stone-cold addicted gambler didnt care at all. Money, Money, Money.

[likethebike]

Well the huge thing that Parker did wrong (aside from his numerous business misjudgements and robbing Elvis) was the fact that he was completely oblivious to his client's ambitions and desires. He just placed his own interests first. Rule #1 is supposed to be the client comes first.

[Scatter]

What did Parker do right??

Leaving Denmark......

Achieving room temperature.......better late than never

[jurasic1968]

A Star is Born, West Side Story, Midnight Cowboy made a lot more money than Elvis'movies. So the Colonel was wrong to reject those offers for Elvis.

[rjm]

What did Parker do right??

Leaving Denmark......

Achieving room temperature.......better late than never

Just in the interest of record correction: he wasn't from Denmark. He was from the Netherlands. Doesn't make him any different, but those countries up there are different. There's Sweden, Denmark, Norway, The Netherlands. The languages are different.

rjm

[ColinB]

...Nobody forced him to do anything or forced him not to do anything.
If someone wants to do something bad enough they do it.
And if a person wants to do something but they don't pursue it it's their own fault. nobody else's.

That might be true in a general sense, but a manager/artist relationship is different.

If Elvis insisted on doing something his manager didn't want, Parker could scupper the whole project by asking for too much money !

Something he did a few times, too !

On the other hand, he could sweet-talk his boy into doing things by referring to contractual obligations etc............

[GERRY]

Ref: - Midnight Cowboy-Joe Buck
I cannot believe that in reality Elvis would have ever gotten this part. He wouldn't have even been in the running for it.So many reasons. Also another reason is Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman spent weeks together before any filming started. This was a serious project and big money and reputations at stake. Also i do not believe Hoffman would have done the film if Elvis was playing joe buck.

Elvis joining the Army was welcomed by Parker, this was a good move.
The experience exposed and equipped Elvis to create many possibilities and he grew as a result.
The Beatles changed in Hamburg.
Elvis changed in the Army.

For me Parker was ok till 1961 and the return to live concerts specifically failling to get them filmed.
But if Elvis would have ditched Parker in 61 would you be happy to lose the 68 Special?
Simply because what drove Elvis to give those stellar performances was the state of his career.

Binder should have been his manager.

[EPA4368]

...Nobody forced him to do anything or forced him not to do anything.
If someone wants to do something bad enough they do it.
And if a person wants to do something but they don't pursue it it's their own fault. nobody else's.

That might be true in a general sense, but a manager/artist relationship is different.

If Elvis insisted on doing something his manager didn't want, Parker could scupper the whole project by asking for too much money !

Something he did a few times, too !

On the other hand, he could sweet-talk his boy into doing things by referring to contractual obligations etc............

Add Vernon to this list and shows why Elvis just surrounded himself with the wrong people.