The Colonel - BBC Radio 2 Documentary

[Cryogenic]

Steady on now...

Parker was hardly a shy man. He was always interacting with people and known for his esoteric look - the bald head, the big build, the cigars etc. If Parker was really afraid of being found out, I'm sure he'd have chosen a more discrete line of work than managing the most famous man of the 20th century! It doesn't completely exempt him from the murder, of course, but neither does it suggest he was the perpetrator. The fact that Nash joined forces with some idiot lackey of The Colonel's last year and sold a trashy - and completely fallacious - story to Playboy magazine shows the kind of biographer she really is (i.e. not really a biographer at all - but something of a sensational journalist).

It's certainly an interesting revelation, though. And it's proof positive that there's always more waiting to be uncovered. The Elvis Story is alive and well and will be for many years to come. Who knows? Maybe something more concrete will turn up in the future.

[Luuk]

Dear Luuk, I'm not sure if It's proven or not, but I've read that a woman was brutally murdered and that he left after comitting it. He was wanted in my country at that time, that's why he changed his name. I'm not saying I'm right but I truly believe that this story is real. Why would he suddenly imigrate, or change his name? I think he had to do it. He hide himself in the army so nobody could identify him. By the way, why would somebody make this story up!? I find Parker a cowered, he was even afraid to give an interview or to show his face on camera, but why?

Dries van Kuijk was never wanted in The Netherlands. His name does not even show up in the list of suspects.......

He emigrated because he was fed up with the strict social control and pressure from the church. Wasn't it only after 1970 that the situation regarding "social control" started to vanish? Especially the south, where Dries van Kuijk lived, was a very religious controlled area in the twenties and thirties.

Parker gave quite a few interviews on and off camera. Unless you mean giving an interview to that writer of that book. Why should he? She made up a story that he murdered someone. So how do you think the interview would go:
Ïnterviewer: You murdered someone in Breda in 1929
The Colonel: No I did not!
Interviewer: But there is an anonymous letter stating that you did!
The colonel: Yes, and the earth is flat.

The reason he changed his name is quite simple: Try introducing yourself in the USA (or any English speaking country) as Dries van Kuijk. Best reply you will get is: What? How do you spell that?
For that same reason a lot of artists change their names. Ringo Starr is really Ringo Starkey. Cliff Richard is really Harry Roger Webb. What? How do you spell that?

There also is a reason why Dries van Kuijk went into the U.S. Army. He entered the USA hoping to get a better life. Perhaps he could not make a living upon entering the USA, so he joined the U.S. Army thus he had an income, food and shelter. And when he wanted to go out he played the fool, like so many people here did when they had their medical exam before being drafted.

[Vincent]

I guess we'll never know the truth

[Marko]

Isn't wonderful how someone on this board demands others to prove their claims and at the same time allows himself the luxury to come up with new claims that he himself cannot prove?

[Luuk]

For that same reason a lot of artists change their names. Ringo Starr is really Ringo Starkey. Cliff Richard is really Harry Roger Webb. What? How do you spell that?

Poor examples Luuk. Ringo's first name is Richard. Harry Roger Webb is not a difficult name to spell nor is Richard Starkey. However, Arnold "Gerry" Dorsey became Engelbert Humperdinck which is completely understandable. I mean, who can spell Dorsey?

Fact is a lot of people do not know how to spell a name, let alone if it is a difficult name.
My name gets written as Luuk but if I'd get a $ for every time someone changes it to Luke, Luc, Luck or Luk I'd get rich quick.
And that is just my first name, which is quite easy to spell!

(RCA-Victor wrote Presly on a contract, concert posters in the fifties would show Elvis Presley in a variety of names of which Pressley was the least wrong one. Now how would they spell Dries van Kuijk??????)

[Vincent]

Hell, I'd hate for Vincent to be on a jury if I was in the dock.

At least there'll be eleven other jury members.

[Luuk]

Not only is there "not enough evidence", he is not even mentioned as a potential suspect!
That writer of that book based her story on an anonymous letter written long after the fact and the coincidence that Dries van Kuijk had left the day after the murder.
IMO he was just another young man trying to escape the poor social and religious climate of The Netherlands in the twenties. Like so many people from so many European countries with poor economy who emigrated.
People still want to emigrate from here!!!!!!!

[Cryogenic]

I have the first part saved to my computer.

Since radio is part of the public domain and can be listened to for free, I hope it won't be infringing copyright to offer a recording. So... is there anyone that would like a copy of this? I can compress to MP3 and upload it as requested.

[AndrewJ]

Here's the link

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/

It's listed under the 'Listen Agian' section on the right hand side of the page.

Andrew

[Keith F]

My surname is very difficult and no one but no one can spell it without me telling them how.

I can spell it!

[Luuk]

Here's the link

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/

It's listed under the 'Listen Agian' section on the right hand side of the page.

Andrew

Thank you for the link.
I am listening to it right now and I think everybody should hear this.

[Blue-Gypsy]

Elvis is driving trucks in Kansas?

OMG!

[YDKM]

i'm listening right now and it's certainly 'interesting'!

[John Walker]

This is the most interesting documentary in a while. The murder theory is disposed of quickly (far too sensational by Ms Nash - me thinks she's getting desperate for sales and income). Good use of interviews and a lot for us to learn of the Colonel. I will be listening to part 2.

[jurasic1968]

One thing I wonder: how he became friend with Lyndon Johnson and so why in this case he didn't apply for a passport? What risk should have been?