The Colonel - BBC Radio 2 Documentary

Well put Steve.

To think there are members on here who like the Colonel.

To Luuk and the others.Its nothing to do that he was from Holland.If he was british and related to me i still would have wished someone should have put a bullet in his head cause of the way he treated Elvis.

He was another Norman Petty.

Buddy Holly got ripped off as well which led to his death.

Petty took all of Buddy's money and wouldnt give it back and said to Buddy' I would rather see you dead than give you the money'.

Buddy Got married and his wife was pregnant and he wanted to stay home with her but had to tour cause he was skint and it was that tour where his plane crashed.
To think that the Col wanted to sign Buddy if he couldnt get Elvis.

At least Buddy knew he was getting shafted unlike our Elvis.

Buddy Holly got ripped off as well which led to his death.

I wasn't familiar with the set up with Holly, but when I saw that above I was thinking things like what sort of plane did he expect for $50.

I know, very sick really in the scheme of things, but I'm just being honest, I coulda kept quiet and retained a slither of a reputation, but I blew it.

I think it was a lack of will in the last 3 to 4 years. no desire to care enough on Elvis' part, just give me what i get and point me in the direction of the next show. Money ? "I'll just stand on stage and extra 15 minutes if i get strapped." That's not what he said, though he did say something similar after someone expressed concern at a jewelry give away, but in essence that seems to be the way he thought. Maybe he didn't deep down but it sure seems like it to me sometimes.

Elton John found out he'd been shafted years later (oh geez okay the pun was intended), now Ringo Starr and Macca are suing EMI over "misplaced" payments dating back years.

I do agree the novelty of Parkers ways were well adjusted to suit the novelty to the world of elvis in the 50's.

The serious problem for Elvis is that he never raised financial issues with Parker in 1956, therefore vetoing his right to do so thereafter as per the agreement. if the matter is not raised in the first year then it is agreed the matter cannot be raised thereafter. Elvis agreed to that or rather Vernon did in aug 1955 and then elvis after the Neal sub management expired and elvis was then 21.

not sure how you'd assure us he wasn't a homosexual, i could understand it if you were able to be in a position to assure us he was, if you see what i mean. not saying you are, you aren't or right or wrong or whatever. Just, well.... work it out

Not that there's anything wrong with that... Jada Jada

At least Buddy knew he was getting shafted unlike our Elvis.

Elvis did not know he was being shafted by the Colonel?

Odd. Curious and curious.


I sometimes think it's best to listen to Elvis sing - and enjoy that and that alone -
and stay far far away from any info about his business situation, info about his personal life, and his habits, and his problems, because it just ruins my impression of the man.

According to Lamar Fike Elvis knew the Colonel was taking him for ride during the last few years of his life. However, Elvid did not know of the deals that Colonel did which paid him extra.

No, they didn't discover he was illegal alien. Colonel had been lying about his past claiming to have been born in the US. Dum Elvis. He should have figured out that his manager wasn't who he said he was, right? Or maybe Parker should have just told him that he was an illegal alien without a passport.

Luuk, let me ask you something. In your opinion did Colonel ever do anything wrong?

The Colonel did quite a few things wrong. But who can claim he/she never made a mistake in life or at work?
There were no rules to manage someone and make him/her famous.
The Beatles were turned down by Decca. Nobody except RCA-Victor (after a lot of pushing by The Colonel) was interested to pay $ 35,000 for Elvis' Sun contract. RCA-Victor erased recording-tapes and master-tapes because tapes were expensive and the "masters" were released on record anyway.
The Colonel sold the rights to Elvis' recordings 1954-1972 because nobody would be interested to hear outtakes and enough money was made on the old "masters". I wonder if The Colonel had done this if he had known Elvis would die a couple of years later?!

The Colonel did quite a few things wrong. But who can claim he/she never made a mistake in life or at work?

There were no rules to manage someone and make him/her famous.

Yeah, Colonel pocketed several hundreds of thousands of dollars of various consultations fees from the same companies that he dealed on behalf of Elvis by mistake. That could have happened to anyone. Yeah, sure it could.

"Honey, I'm home. Guess what happened today. My employers customer paid me 100.000 dollars personally for my consultation. Do you think I should tell my boss about this?"

P.S. There are rules how not to handle your client's business.

Quote:

Elvis knew the Colonel was taking him for ride

Trouble is it was not just the Colonel - look at all the other parasites.

Quote:

Elvis knew the Colonel was taking him for ride

Trouble is it was not just the Colonel - look at all the other parasites.

Pacer,

Have you ever thought about the fact that maybe they were there because Elvis wanted them there? Besides name a single member of MM who got rich working for Elvis.

Quote:

Elvis knew the Colonel was taking him for ride

Trouble is it was not just the Colonel - look at all the other parasites.

Pacer,

Have you ever thought about the fact that maybe they were there because Elvis wanted them there? Besides name a single member of MM who got rich working for Elvis.

So it was o.k. for the MM, who just were hanging around although they had "job descriptions", to leech off Elvis but you criticise The Colonel for making money taking care of Elvis' career?
Have you ever thought Elvis wanted The Colonel to be his manager?!

(There was an incident in 1957 during the filming of Jailhouse rock. Elvis mentioned to his entourage that he was sick and tired of The Colonel. The Colonel called Elvis to a meeting (with others present) and told Elvis: "If you are not satisfied with my management, we can quit now. No hard feelings. Or you can do as I say and stop complaining about the way I handle your career. The choice is yours.")

Quote:

Elvis knew the Colonel was taking him for ride

Trouble is it was not just the Colonel - look at all the other parasites.

Pacer,

Have you ever thought about the fact that maybe they were there because Elvis wanted them there? Besides name a single member of MM who got rich working for Elvis.

So it was o.k. for the MM, who just were hanging around although they had "job descriptions", to leech off Elvis but you criticise The Colonel for making money taking care of Elvis' career?
Have you ever thought Elvis wanted The Colonel to be his manager?!

Have you got a problem understanding what you read? I critisice him for making deals behind Elvis's back.

If Elvis wanted to pay to MM for them to hang around, that was his problem. You don't have to like it but that isn't an excuse for what Colonel did, now is it?

Last edited by Marko on Thu Jan 05, 2006 6:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

If they (MM more so than the Colonel) could have wheeled Elvis on stage in his coffin they would have. As long as they could keep the money rolling in.

And you are correct Elvis was responsible for this (partyly or all?) but they were still parasites. They cared more about what Elvis gave them than about the man himself.

Last edited by pacer on Thu Jan 05, 2006 5:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

"I sometimes think it's best to listen to Elvis sing - and enjoy that and that alone -
and stay far far away from any info about his business situation, info about his personal life, and his habits, and his problems, because it just ruins my impression of the man."

GG, that is a sad but true observation.

Charles Stone is writing a book about his years with the Parker, that should be iteresting. he was there. when i spoke to Alanna about her book ,she said she would had liked to talk to Charles . But could not find him. Charles said that was funny because he has been in the same place for years. He said she did not try very hard.
IMO its because he would tell the truth about the life of the parker. I agree the murder thing is bull. You would not beleive the wonderful stories about the man he looked up to as a father.
Charles was also a "snowmen"
I have tapes that he gave me of some of the meetings.
very interesting to listhen too.
joe
http://www.elvis2001.net

Who is Charles Stone?


EDIT:

Found this

http://www.ladyluckmusic.com/radio/hunter/charlesstone/

Charles Stone was to the Colonel what Charlie Hodge was to Elvis.

Just someone to hold a cup of water and laugh at jokes that are not funny.

To be serious, it was the endless tours that took there toll on Elvis.Cause the Colonel was a gambling addict, he took Elvis on the same tours year after year when he could have given Elvis an incentive by giving Elvis a year off and then doing a world or European tour.It would have given Elvis a new zest for life and maybe he might still be around today if he had the chance to perform for his non-US fans.

Charles Stone claims that he was Elvis's Tour Manager for 8 years(well thats what it says on Sid Shaws website) so he claims , then his book is gonna be a comic book.

I wonder what Charles Stone would say if he was asked'Why didnt Elvis tour outside of the US'?

i have already asked him that, many many years ago.
but you would not like the answer.

joe
http://www.elvis2001.net

Well it would help if you told me the answer.

So its got nothing to do with the fact that the Colonel couldnt leave the States then?

Well if Charles Stone is going around saying he was Elvis's tour manager then im gonna really believe everything else he says.

According to Lamar Fike Elvis knew the Colonel was taking him for ride during the last few years of his life. However, Elvid did not know of the deals that Colonel did which paid him extra.

Is Lamar Fike suggesting that everyone with Elvis, including him, coincidentally turned and looked the other way at the same time whenever they viewed one of Elvis' films and the words "Technical Adviser - Col Tom Parker" came on the screen?

According to Lamar Fike Elvis knew the Colonel was taking him for ride during the last few years of his life. However, Elvid did not know of the deals that Colonel did which paid him extra.

Is Lamar Fike suggesting that everyone with Elvis, including him, coincidentally turned and looked the other way at the same time whenever they viewed one of Elvis' films and the words "Technical Adviser - Col Tom Parker" came on the screen?

If Elvis accepted the fact that Colonel got paid extra for being a technical adviser that was his business. It'a bit different to do deals without Elvis knowing about them.

If Elvis accepted the fact that Colonel got paid extra for being a technical adviser that was his business. It'a bit different to do deals without Elvis knowing about them.

Technical Advisor was Parker's dream job.

After years of traveling around as an advance man, in that ol' carny capacity, constantly wiping sweat off his neck, and eating diner food, and sleeping in motel beds of variable discomfort, and dialing payphones to do business.

Now finally, as he neared & passed 60 years of age, Parker could finally settle down and plant his butt in a nice cushioned chair in an air-conditioned office with a secretary and a go-fer, all provided by a * Motion Picture Studio * (wow)

What a sweet gig for the ol' guy.
He paid his dues scraping around in show business for nearly 30 years and now thanks to The Elvis Presley, he could laugh all the way to the bank and happily relax and enjoy the VIP good life.

Who cares if the scripts suck, or if Elvis is displeased with the films, as long as the studio pays the standard $1M per picture, and Parker gets his T.A. fee and all his long distance calls paid for by the studio.

How sweet it is.




But nothing last forever.

The day comes Elvis wants to quit making movies...and play live again.

"Okay, muh boy, let's go to Vegas."
The old guy simply moves his base of operations one state over, to Nevada,
to a comfy chair and air-conditioned office suite there.

He was no fool.

Titled 'The King and I - The Colonel Parker Story'. Part 1 broadcast Tuesday, 31 January, BBC Radio 2, 8.30 - 9.30pm. Part 2 broadcast the following week.

In the TV Times on page the Colonel (?) is pictured with Elvis. I just hope this is not a sign of a dismal programme from the beeb.

The Colonel: a very Machiavellian figure.

In a crude sense: The Colonel = Palpatine; Elvis = Anakin Skywalker

Did The Colonel love his relationship with Elvis? Certainly. Did he love Elvis? Doubtful. Did The Colonel love the pursuit and acquisition of money? Certainly. Did he love money as a means to acquiring material goods? Doubtful. Did he do sneaky and underhand things, almost bullying people into submission? Certainly. Was he actually unethical or unlawful? Doubtful.

I think The Colonel had an addictive personality. I think he adored working out these deals and suckering people MORE than he enjoyed the money itself. But, to that end, he must also have enjoyed suckering Elvis. The saddest thing of all is that Elvis let it happen. He may not have known about everything going on - but he knew enough. Even some of the things he didn't know of were things he could probably have discovered if he'd wanted to. But he clearly didn't. The Colonel didn't mismanage Elvis; Elvis LET The Colonel mismanage him. There's a big difference.

The Colonel had little to no interest in Elvis' artistry. If Elvis really wanted to do something, then he went and did it - look to the Comeback Special for all the proof you'll ever need. But, most of the time, Elvis was relatively stubborn and insular, or at the very least, fragile and uncertain. The Colonel knew this and used it to his advantage. If Elvis had really put up enough of a fight, two things would have happened in the late 50's/early 60's regarding his movies, for example:

1) The Colonel would have grudgingly found Elvis more serious roles and Elvis would have got his way. The Colonel, being a shrewd man, however, would have adapted and found new ways to make himself rich. Win-win.

2) The Colonel would have grudgingly found Elvis more serious roles but would have been so beligerent about it that Elvis would have eventually fired him. The Colonel, being a shrewd man, however, would have tried to worm his way back in but ultimately failed because of Elvis' newfound conviction. Win-lose.

Neither of those scenarios would ever have happened because the Elvis of those scenarios never existed. But The Colonel of those scenarios did and knew how to keep his "partnership" afloat. Emotional pressure was also exerted on Elvis - either unwittingly or knowingly (I think it was both) - by his father. Vernon implicitly trusted The Colonel. Gladys didn't. Gladys died and Vernon lived. That really sealed the fate of Elvis Presley on every imaginable level.

*****

That's the main part of my post out the way. Some other stuff:

1) I've never read Alanna Nash's biography. I'd very much like to. However, I've always looked upon it with a certain amount of skepticism and incredulity, and after reading about her involvement in a fellacious Playboy article last year, she has irrevocably tarnished her image. I have even less trust for her book now.

2) Every coin has two sides. While many look upon the 1973 song rights incident, for example, as a pure example of The Colonel's abject lust for money, Elvis was hit hard by his divorce from Priscilla - on top of increased spending habits and a Memphis Mafia that had swollen to enormous proportions - and needed more dosh than ever. I've actually read that The Colonel was resistant to the whole idea and advised Elvis against it. Elvis pushed for it, however, and The Colonel negotiated the best deal he could.

3) As touched on above, The Colonel stifled Elvis' creativity and life because Elvis let it happen. He should have been appalled at the way The Colonel wrote Lieber and Stoller out of the equation - but he wasn't (or he was and he did nothing). He should have been appalled that The Colonel had him singing to a bull and other such nonsense - but he wasn't (or he was and he did nothing). He should have been appalled that he let The Colonel convince him to burn his books - but he wasn't (or he was and he did nothing). Elvis could be and was a masochist. He even admitted to Linda Thompson one time: "I have a tendency to self-destruction" (paraphrased).

The Colonel didn't make Elvis pop pills. The Colonel didn't make Elvis play with guns and almost kill his girlfriend in a bizarre and stupid act of boredom. The Colonel didn't make Elvis issue a promise to Priscilla's parents that he'd marry her at a certain age. And on and on. Although Elvis' frustration with his life and career, of which The Colonel played a big and intractable part, pushed him further and further into the gutter, The Colonel was often there to save his sorry ass. Elvis knew it. The Colonel knew it. They mutually understood each other's weaker sides. Their relationship wasn't entirely symbiotic - but there was a kind of synthesis there. Both were imaginative but reckless. They were both wrestling with their own demons. Elvis' just happened to get him first.

And I'll tell you what... Elvis may have been unhappy that The Colonel was virtually bamboozling him of untold wealth... but he was still making an absolute fortune. The Colonel had the wisdom and foresight to believe that Elvis was going to be big. Really, really big. He turned him into a product. He marketed the albums correctly (at least to begin with). He booked Elvis onto this new medium called "television". He got Elvis onto the big screen - where Elvis had always dreamed of being. He got Elvis OUT THERE. Elvis was a timid guy - prone to emotional outbursts. The Colonel was a ballsy, "take charge" guy - also prone to outbursts. They were a strange yet natural combination. I don't think The Colonel was interested in the limelight at all - whatever notoriety he's earned (and he's earned a lot) is because he was one of a kind. Elvis and The Colonel were both self-styled men and had big personalities to go with it. I can't see how things could have gone any other way.

*******

Of the two men, who do I have more adoration for? Guess. But I can still acknowledge Elvis' faults. He had 'em alright. But without those faults, he wouldn't have been him. Take his emotional outbursts. If he wasn't so prone to deep feeling and swinging moods, maybe he wouldn't have been half the singer and expressive artist he was. Life is a double edged sword. We need oxygen to respire and make energy - but that same oxygen is actually toxic and slowly kills us. What are you gonna do?