Early talent management (1938–1954) Parker first became involved in the music industry in 1938 as a promoter, working with popular
crooner Gene Austin whose career was at a low point, despite having sold 86 million records since 1924 and earned over $17 million. Austin had spent much of his fortune on extravagant living and his popularity had been eclipsed by other singers such as
Bing Crosby. Parker found his career transition smooth, and he used his carnival experience to sell tickets and attract crowds to Austin's concerts. While he was a successful promoter, Parker now wanted to move into management. Austin offered Parker the opportunity to move to
Nashville,
Tennessee, where music was becoming big business, but Parker turned down the offer. He decided to stay with his wife in
Temple Terrace, Florida, perhaps to avoid having to submit paperwork that could expose his illegal status. Within a year, Parker had the opportunity to become a legal citizen of the United States when a new law allowed
illegal immigrants the chance to become U.S. citizens, in return for a promise to fight for the country during
World War II if required. Parker served in the peacetime army, but never subsequently applied to become a U.S. citizen, possibly to prevent his previous army record from becoming public or to avoid having to fight. He found employment as a field agent with a local animal shelter, the Hillsborough County Humane Society. The job offered him not only a secure wage, but also a rent-free apartment for him and his wife in a remote part of
West Tampa. With the society needing funds, Parker used his promotional experience to raise money and awareness. As part of the fundraising, Parker went to Tennessee to find acts to perform at his charity events, among them well-known artists such as
Minnie Pearl and
Eddy Arnold. He became involved in music promotion again, but for himself rather than the society. In 1945 Parker became Arnold's full-time manager, signed a contract for 25% of his earnings Neal began to struggle to accommodate his new client's success, and in February 1955, following a meeting with Parker, Presley agreed to let Parker take some control of future bookings and promotions. Part of Parker's role was to secure a new recording contract with a more prominent label. In return for a more significant financial stake in the deal, Neal agreed not to renew his management contract with Presley after it expired in March 1956, allowing Parker the opportunity to claim the job for himself.
Signing Elvis (1956–1957) On March 26, 1956, after Presley's management contract with Neal expired, Presley signed a contract making Parker his exclusive representative. Later, when Hank Snow asked Parker about the status of their contract with Presley, Parker told him: "You don't have any contract with Elvis Presley. Elvis is signed exclusively to the Colonel." With his first RCA Victor single, "
Heartbreak Hotel", in 1956, Presley became a recording star, and Parker began bringing his new star to the national stage. He arranged for Presley to appear on popular television shows, such as
The Milton Berle Show and
The Ed Sullivan Show, securing fees that made Presley the highest-paid star on television. By the summer, Presley had become one of the most famous new faces of the year, causing excitement among the new teenage audience and outrage among some older audiences and religious groups. Presley said of Parker: "I don't think I would have ever been huge if it wasn't for him. He's a brilliant man." Parker signed a deal with
Beverly Hills film merchandiser
Hank Saperstein for nearly $40,000 to turn Presley into a brand name. With over 78 different products for sale, from charm bracelets to record players, Presley merchandise brought in $22 million by the end of 1956. Parker, with his 25% share of profits, found ways to make money from his artist that other managers had never thought of, such as simultaneously selling "I Love Elvis" and "I Hate Elvis" buttons. In April 1956, Parker made his first mistake with Presley's career. He booked Presley for a four-week engagement in
Las Vegas, misjudging the potential reactions of the slightly older, more reserved audiences that Las Vegas attracted. While Presley was a hit among the youth of America, older audiences found him an oddity. Some viewed him as a clown-like figure, wiggling his hips for screams, while others found him vulgar and more suitable for late-night gentleman's clubs. After a cold reception during his first few shows, Parker cut Presley's appearance to two weeks. Presley remembered the event as one of the worst moments of his career. Despite this setback, Presley's career continued to grow. Remembering that Presley had expressed interest in acting when they first met, Parker arranged a screen test with
Paramount Pictures. The company was impressed with Presley's acting ability, and they signed Presley to a seven-picture contract. Parker ensured that the agreement allowed Presley the freedom to make at least one film a year with another studio and also managed to set up an office, with staff, at Paramount. Presley's acting career was initially intended to be a serious one. However, Parker persuaded Presley to sing in his movies after seeing the opportunity to cross-promote singles and albums with the films. This proved very lucrative, especially when the single for Presley's first film,
Love Me Tender, sold over one million copies in advance sales. By the end of 1956, Parker had made Presley one of the world's most well-known and well-paid entertainers. In 1957, Parker finally managed to give Tommy Sands his big break by arranging for him to audition for and star in an episode of
Kraft Television Theater called
"The Singin' Idol
". The episode's storyline was loosely based on the life and career of Presley. NBC had originally wanted Presley for the role, but Parker had turned them down. In the drama, the role of Sands was portrayed as a "twisted psychopath". Critics were very positive in their reviews of both the drama and Sands, leading to
Capitol Records signing Sands within a week. Soon after, Sands' song "
Teen-Age Crush" reached number 2 on the pop charts, eventually selling 800,000 copies.
Elvis in the Army (1958–1960) Regardless of Parker and Presley's success, Parker was still struggling to believe that Presley's career would last longer than a year or two. Parker had seen many acts come and go during his earlier years in management and felt that it would be foolish to believe that Presley, despite being Parker's most successful act to date, would be any different. In January 1958, Presley received his
draft notice from the United States Army. Presley was upset about the potential negative effect accepting the draft could have on his career, but Parker was secretly overjoyed. Presley had been showing signs of rebellion against Parker, and Parker believed that a stint in the Army would cure him of this. Parker was looking ahead when he persuaded Presley to become a soldier. Presley had wanted to join
Special Services, allowing him the opportunity to perform while at the same time getting a more leisurely ride than other soldiers. Parker, on the other hand, was fully aware that any particular treatment given to Presley would instantly be used against him in the media and by those who disliked his style of music. If Presley could show the world that he was treated the same as any other young man, Parker told him, then more people would accept him and his music. Parker was also afraid that any attempt to block Presley from being drafted would result in a more detailed look into Parker's own service record. He also realized that it would be an excellent opportunity to promote Presley by having the media witness his induction day, including the army haircut that would see the shearing of Presley's iconic hairstyle. While Presley served in
West Germany, Parker appeared to be in complete control, but he was worried about the outside influences that Presley might encounter there. Parker had declined to travel to Europe to visit Presley, denying that he spoke any language other than English. He sent Presley's friends to keep him company, arranged for business associates to watch over him while working in Europe, and maintained regular contact with him. He was reportedly afraid that Presley would realize that other managers were prepared to sign contracts that did not require as much as 25% of his earnings. Parker also worried about Presley losing his fame while he was away in the army, so Parker worked hard to keep Presley's name known to the public. He realized that by keeping RCA Victor and the public hungry for more Presley material, he could negotiate a better contract when Presley returned from active service. He had arranged for Presley to record five singles before his induction, guaranteeing RCA Victor enough material to release over two years. RCA was eager for Presley to record in West Germany. Still, Parker insisted it would ruin his reputation as a regular soldier if he could go into a recording studio. Stories appeared in the press regularly about Presley, including that he would do a live CCTV broadcast when he returned and that he had signed a deal for a series of annual television spectaculars to be broadcast across the country. All of these stories were fabrications, but they kept Presley's name in the public consciousness.
Elvis returns (1960–1965) For Presley's return in March 1960, Parker arranged for a train to take him from Washington, D.C., to Memphis, with stops so that fans could see their idol in person. If Parker was still worried about Presley's having lost his fame, he was disabused of this notion when he witnessed the turnout along the route.
Frank Sinatra, who had declared Presley a rock and roll disgrace in the 1950s, had since become keen to have him appear on
The Frank Sinatra Show. Parker, not one to forget harsh criticism, stated that the fee would be for two songs, a total of eight minutes on screen; Sinatra himself was receiving a lower sum for the whole show, but he agreed. The show, "Welcome Home, Elvis", was Presley's first national television appearance since
The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1957. After the Sinatra special, Parker decided that Presley's future lay in Hollywood. He envisioned Presley as an entertainment machine on becoming a film actor, pumping out three feature films and soundtracks a year until the decade's end. He allowed him to perform three live shows in 1961, all charity events, two in Memphis and one in Hawaii. After that, Presley gave no live performances until 1968 and had minimal contact with his fans. Parker signed long-term contracts with the Hollywood film studios, possibly to guarantee work and income for both him and Presley. This was, in hindsight, a mistake on his part; if he had negotiated each deal separately based on the profits of the previous film, he could have received more money. Throughout the 1960s, Parker continually renegotiated Presley's film contracts, often paying little attention to his client's scripts or concerns. These deals were sometimes so harsh on the studios that it led producer
Hal Wallis to state: "I'd rather try and close a deal with the Devil." Presley had to do no more than provide RCA Victor with three albums a year, and his film soundtracks did that for him. With no concert touring or public appearances to be made, Parker was able to keep costs to a minimum. For the first few years, Presley's films were somewhat successful, his albums topped the charts, and any singles released were mainly hits. But as time went on, Presley became less significant as the Beatles began to dominate the music charts, and the worldwide phenomenon known as
Beatlemania began. Presley's films still made money, and his albums still sold well, but the profits were falling. This led Parker to insist that films be made cheaply, on a strict schedule, and with as little hassle as possible.
Dead ends (1966–1967) For the remainder of the 1960s, Presley starred in films that relied heavily on exotic locations and mundane songs, and he was tied into contracts that he could not escape. Parker did not appear to care if the films were good or bad, but only about the profits. When Presley complained to him that he wanted better scripts, Parker reminded him of his lavish lifestyle and that risking $1 million a year for doing practically no work was dangerous. Presley's career stagnated while artists like the Beatles,
the Rolling Stones, and
The Beach Boys dominated the charts. Later, in a 1983 interview, Parker admitted that after 1966, the income from Presley films and soundtracks had dramatically declined. To make up for the lack of earnings, Parker arranged for Presley's gold Cadillac to go on tour. Selling it to RCA for $24,000 ($ in dollars), it was used to promote Presley's latest film,
Frankie & Johnny. The Cadillac tour proved somewhat more successful than the film itself. In
Houston alone in one afternoon, 40,000 people paid to see it, with one woman offering to have sex with the tour manager if he would allow her to sit in it. On January 2, 1967, Parker re-negotiated his managerial/agent contract with Presley, persuading him to increase Parker's share from 25% to 50% on certain transactions. When critics questioned this arrangement and wondered if Parker was taking advantage of Presley, Presley quipped, "I could have signed with East Coast Entertainment where they take 70%!" Parker used the argument that Presley was his only client and he was thus earning only one fee. After the success of Presley's return to live performing in Las Vegas, Parker decided it was time for Presley to go on tour for the first time in 13 years. The tours were so financially successful that they determined Presley's workload for the remainder of his life and career. Parker's main role during these tours was planning the logistics and ensuring tickets were sold. By 1972, Parker had managed to increase Presley's weekly wage in Las Vegas to $150,000 ($ in dollars) and secured $50,000 a year ($ in dollars) for himself as a "consultant to the hotel chain". Parker also decided that it was time for Presley to return to New York and arranged for him to perform at
Madison Square Garden in June. Originally planned as three performances, demand was so high that Parker decided to add a fourth performance, making Presley the first performer to sell out the venue four consecutive times. These four shows alone grossed $730,000 ($ in dollars). On July 8, 1972, inspired by
the visit of President
Richard Nixon to China a few months earlier, Parker announced that there would be a worldwide satellite broadcast from Hawaii to allow the whole world the chance to see a Presley concert, "since we can't play in every major city". Except for a few concerts in Canada in 1957, Presley never performed outside the United States. Parker held another press conference in Las Vegas on September 4, 1972, to confirm that the concert, now titled
Aloha from Hawaii, would be broadcast on January 14, 1973. The press was told that an audience of one billion was expected to tune in to see the "first entertainment special to be broadcast live around the world"; although Parker had not taken into account the fact that many countries, including parts of Europe and America, would not see the concert live due to the time of the broadcast. Parker received a letter from
Honolulu Advertiser columnist Eddie Sherman two weeks after the Las Vegas press conference. Sherman had read in news accounts that there was to be no charge for admittance to the concerts, a donation to charity is required instead. He suggested to Parker that, as Presley had recorded and was still performing the song "
I'll Remember You" written by
Kui Lee, the donations could go to the Kui Lee Cancer Fund that had been set up following the death of the songwriter in 1966. Seeing the chance to publicize Presley's charitable nature once again, Parker eagerly agreed. The album was released simultaneously around the world and went to number 1 on the U.S. charts in 1974, the first Presley album to do so since the
Roustabout soundtrack.
1973–1974 In May 1973, in an attempt to deal with Presley's growing dependence on prescription drugs, Parker and Presley's father, Vernon, attempted to cut off his drug supply. They hired private detectives to find out where the drugs were coming from and successfully stopped any more from reaching Presley. For the remainder of Presley's life, Parker saw little of him. The two had become almost strangers, and false reports in the media suggested that Presley's contract was up for sale. Although Parker publicly denied these claims, he had been in talks with
Peter Grant, the manager of
Led Zeppelin, about the possibility of him overseeing a European tour for Presley. Despite the new rumors of Presley touring overseas, however, Parker never followed through with the deal.
1977: Presley's death When
Presley died on August 16, 1977, one day before he was due to go on tour, some accounts suggest Parker acted as if nothing had happened. Other accounts suggest he slumped in his chair at his office, muttered, "Oh, dear God", and then quickly phoned Vernon Presley and advised him that his son's image needed to be protected. This would be more in keeping with Parker's own interests. Parker set out to protect his future income. When he was asked by a journalist what he would do now with Elvis Presley having died, Parker responded: "Why, I'll just go right on managing him!" Experts in the field at the time estimated that this mistake had potentially cost Presley millions of dollars, However, Judge Joseph Evans, aware that
Lisa Marie Presley was still a minor, appointed attorney Blanchard E. Tual to investigate Parker's management. Tual, once appointed as Lisa Marie's guardian
ad litem, chose to investigate the entire period of Parker's management of Presley; his preliminary finding was that Parker's management deal of 50% was extortionate compared to the industry average of 15–20%. He also noted that Parker's handling of Presley's business affairs during his lifetime, including the decision to sell off past royalties to RCA for $5.4 million in 1973, was unethical and poorly handled. During a second, more detailed investigation, Tual discovered that all earnings were paid directly to the trust instead of Parker. By this time, with the
IRS demanding almost $15 million in taxes, the estate was facing bankruptcy. On August 14, 1981, Judge Evans ordered Elvis Presley Enterprises to sue Parker for mismanagement. Parker countersued. The case against Parker was settled out of court in 1983, with the estate paying him $2 million ($ in dollars) in exchange for all Presley audio recordings or visual images that he owned and the termination of his involvement in any Presley related earnings for five years. Parker worked as a "consultant" for
Hilton Hotels for a number of years after Presley's death, with some believing he was working to pay off debts owed to the casino from his gambling during Presley's performances there. Part of this role resulted in Parker keeping the same fourth-floor suite he occupied when Presley was alive. By 1984, with his gambling debts reportedly rising again, he was evicted. On the surface, however, relations between Parker and Hilton Hotels appeared to be as good as ever, with Parker helping the Hilton to organize another fan convention event in August 1987 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Presley's death. The disputes with the Presley estate did not terminate Parker's association with Presley. Parker appeared at posthumous events honoring Presley, such as the 1993 issuing of a
U.S. postage stamp with Presley's likeness. He also became friendly with the estate again, attending special ceremonies and events in Memphis, invited by Priscilla. However, he did occasionally bother them by criticizing some decisions. In 1994, following the marriage of Lisa Marie Presley and
Michael Jackson, Parker stated that Presley would probably not have approved. In 1993, during an event honoring Elvis Presley at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, when a reporter questioned Parker's interest in Presley's enduring legend provoked Parker to remark: "I don't think I exploited Elvis as much as he's being exploited today." ==Personal life==