Elvis: The Controversy Behind Colonel Tom Parker Explained
Colonel Tom Parker, as played by Tom Hanks in Elvis, was the controversial manager of singer Elvis Presley (played by Austin Butler) with a mysterious past who had a key role in both The King's success and downfall. Parker was associated with Elvis throughout the musician's entire career, including music, movies, and TV specials. Known for his keen promotion and merchandising savvy, Parker would help to make Elvis a household name, putting the singer on everything from lunch boxes to board games to trading cards and beyond. On top of that, Parker found venue upon venue for Elvis to perform in, be it recording studios, Hollywood films, TV specials, and even satellite broadcasts, immersing the artist into the cultural zeitgeist, while keeping him landlocked in North America.
Born as Andreas Cornelis Dries van Kuijk in the Netherlands, Parker would later illegally immigrate to the United States, finding employment as a carnival worker before joining the Army, where he was eventually discharged after going AWOL, found to be too mentally unstable to continue serving. Parker would then return to the carnival, where he made his living for a time before getting involved in music promotion, working with the likes of Gene Austin, Minnie Pearl, Eddy Arnold, and Hank Snow, who would eventually lead Parker to musician and future movie star Elvis Presley. Parker became known as a shrewd, showy, and manipulative businessman who was able to work out lucrative deals at minimal overhead, while making sure his pockets were lined healthily along the way. He was given the honorary title of «Colonel» in the Louisiana State Militia from Governor Jimmie Davis as a thank you for work he did on Davis' campaign. Parker adopted the title as if it
Read more on screenrant.com
