Do you believeElvis could have done it better if Col. Tom Parker was not his manager?

[ricardo b. prospero]

No matter how much credit we all give to the Col. he still sucks. Whether we admit it or not the man is a selfish, greedy bastard who never care about Elvis. He is a hungry vampire who never stop sucking the blood out of the man. He look upon Elvis as a simple business tool he manipulated to satisfy his hungry desire for more money. Perhaps, Elvis lack the true motivation to detach himself from this old vulture.

"You don't need to be smart to see what is behind the mask and spell the motive why
the Col. took Elvis"

[Suzan]

I think in the very beginning, nobody could have done what the Col. did to get Elvis exposure, I do however believe that from about 1962 on he was a determent to Elvis, and even though Elvis agreed to the 50/50 split I think he was sheltered and perhaps lied to by the Col. and did not maybe know that this was not the going rate that 10% was a much better percentage for a manager. JMO
I do also agree w/many that the Col. was greedy and only saw Elvis as a meal ticket...a cash cow so to speak. Again this is just my opinion.

[BrianK]

I have often wondered what Col. Parker did with his 50% of the money. Do you think there could be some safe deposit box somwhere filled with cash? We know that Elvis had a lot of fun spending his.

[SeeSeeRider777]

If Elvis would have listened to Steve Binder he would have gone all around to world, done great movies and reall really great music. The Col. was nothing but a crook, he had Elvis paying off his debt in Vegas. He was the first Don King.

[Suzan]

If Elvis would have listened to Steve Binder he would have gone all around to world, done great movies and reall really great music. The Col. was nothing but a crook, he had Elvis paying off his debt in Vegas. He was the first Don King.

I think the same way about Col. I have heard that he had enormous gambling debts and one of the creative ways he dwindled that debt was to have Elvis perform @ the Hilton.

[jak]

I think the same way about Col. I have heard that he had enormous gambling debts and one of the creative ways he dwindled that debt was to have Elvis perform @ the Hilton.

Elvis performed at the Hilton so often because he needed the money.Elvis was the one going broke.His career was not producing the cash flow it once was at that point.His records were not selling well anymore and the constant touring kept the cash flow coming.Obviously his remaining estate after his death showed what a miserable state his finances were in.
Jak

[Suzan]

Not at the beginning...and up to about 1976 his records were selling just fine.
Not saying he didn't spend, nor am I saying he didn't need the cash flow, I'm saying and so have a few other's on here, including those around Elvis, that Col. @ one time had a debt to the Hilton (gambling) somewhere in the vicinity of 2 million dollars.
Wow u love to just quote me huh? lol

Please go back and read other's post's I am not alone in this opinion and am not the only one who has heard this.

[jak]

Not at the beginning...and up to about 1976 his records were selling just fine.
Not saying he didn't spend, nor am I saying he didn't need the cash flow, I'm saying and so have a few other's on here, including those around Elvis, that Col. @ one time had a debt to the Hilton (gambling) somewhere in the vicinity of 2 million dollars.
Wow u love to just quote me huh? lol

Please go back and read other's post's I am not alone in this opinion and am not the only one who has heard this.

Elvis had a couple of good selling lp's.However during Elvis time the market was based on 45 sales.Elvis last #1 single was in 1969.Elvis' records stopped selling well overall long before 76.Elvis basically quit making records in the 70's.He was a live act.
The Col did gamble and have debts.It doesnt change the fact that Elvis needed the money.
I only quote those that need it.
Jak

[Suzan]

Then you better get to quoting! rof got a way's to go.
I'm honored, thank you.

Hey hmmm is someone forgetting his gospel albums? Of hey how about the singles? And I don't know about you, but to me 5 mil. in 1977 wasn't in need of money and lots more prior, and again if there was "hardly any" left then hey u suppose that had lots to do w/Col.'s contract?

Shoot 5 mil. today isn't all that bad...rof

Me thinks someone is not too happy...rof

[jak]

The fact that you think Elvis' financial situation was fine upon his death means you might need to do a little more research.Elvis' money crunch got really bad starting as far back as 73 when he sold the rights to his back catalog to get cash.The debacle of the CBS special was born out of necessity for cash.The failed raquetball courts.You can go on and on.I thought Elvis had less than 5million upon his death?Even if he did have the 5 it was nothing.He was headed for bankruptcy.I dont think you comprehend the costs he incurred keeping Graceland running along with everything else.He had a very large payroll of help also.The reason Elvis played the same cities over and over was the cash flow he needed.The fact is he wasnt selling many singles and lp's period anymore.Look at the charts.That's not an opinion but fact.Artists dont make the majority of their money on record sales.The record company gets the lion share of profit.Couple that with his poor sales and there you have it.Hence,the one nighters playing secondary markets.He kept the majority of profits from those tours.If anybody here think Mr Presley didnt have extremely serious money problems the last fews years they are greatlt mistaken.I thought this was common knowledge.
Jak

[Suzan]

I didn't say he DIDN'T have I said he wasn't BROKE...and hmmm Jak why don't u read up some, the reason he sold the catalog was @ Col.'s urging AND it satisfy the divorce settlement.
And no I don't think for 1977 5 mil. was bad, it could have been better, but hey again THANK YOU COL.! Heck I don't think 5 mil. is bad for today and if you do well wow is all I can say.
And so record sales slowed down, but he was still making money.
I don't care how you try to twist Jak...it boils down to the Col.. Gosh lets see in additon to advising Elvis to sell the catalog for 5 mil. to RCA (which by any standards at any time was a paultry amt. and HUGELY BAD ADVICE via the Col.) he also had him turn down movies that would have been lucrative for him had the "Col." done his job CORRECTLY AND WITHOUT GREED!
But hey you go right ahead and believe what you'd like...that is up to you...facts are facts where the Col. is concerned...and oh gosh lets not forget that EPE was advised to get rid of the Col. BY THE COURTS and his greed extended so far as to not only request payment for the buyout of his contract, in 1989 he sold to Pris Presley for 7 million dollars his Elvis' memoribilia, greedy to the end. lol
Thankyouthankyouverymuch!

[jak]

I didn't say he DIDN'T have I said he wasn't BROKE...and hmmm Jak why don't u read up some, the reason he sold the catalog was @ Col.'s urging AND it satisfy the divorce settlement.
And no I don't think for 1977 5 mil. was bad, it could have been better, but hey again THANK YOU COL.! Heck I don't think 5 mil. is bad for today and if you do well wow is all I can say.
And so record sales slowed down, but he was still making money.
I don't care how you try to twist Jak...it boils down to the Col.. Gosh lets see in additon to advising Elvis to sell the catalog for 5 mil. to RCA (which by any standards at any time was a paultry amt. and HUGELY BAD ADVICE via the Col.) he also had him turn down movies that would have been lucrative for him had the "Col." done his job CORRECTLY AND WITHOUT GREED!
But hey you go right ahead and believe what you'd like...that is up to you...facts are facts where the Col. is concerned...and oh gosh lets not forget that EPE was advised to get rid of the Col. BY THE COURTS and his greed extended so far as to not only request payment for the buyout of his contract, in 1989 he sold to Pris Presley for 7 million dollars his Elvis' memoribilia, greedy to the end. lol
Thankyouthankyouverymuch!

It's you who dont understand.I said he sold the contract because he needed the money.I never said it wasnt to help pay for his divorce.The need was there is what I said.Thanks for comfirming my post.Elvis having an estate worth 5 million is a joke in 1977.That was the total value of the estate if liquidated.Elvis had no cash.He was barley covering operating costs.You need to read more not me.I believe youre the one who blasted somebody and rushed to Elvis' defense for describing a scene out of Viva Las Vegas.Keep up the good fight kid.Youre doing a standup job.
Jak

[KPM]

Elvis performed at the Hilton so often because he needed the money.Elvis was the one going broke.His career was not producing the cash flow it once was at that point.His records were not selling well anymore and the constant touring kept the cash flow coming.Obviously his remaining estate after his death showed what a miserable state his finances were in.
Jak

Even though Elvis died in 1977 he is number 11 on the best selling artist of the 70s. Not selling well is subjective, if you compare it to the 50s (he was the number record seller) or the 60s (he was the number 2 record seller) he did not sell as well-but compared to a 100 other 70s artists he sold pretty good.
As far as his cash problem in the 70s I gave my opinion of what the Col. "could have done" which would have pumped millions into both their coffers in the 70s on another thread. We complain that Elvis lost his fire, became lazy well IMO the Col. also took the easiest path quick one time deals which he got more than Elvis. He did not manage Elvis "proactively" after 72.

[TurnpikeTaylor]

Those who say Elvis would`nt have made it without Parkers help are living in a dream world, Elvis was always going to hit it big with whoever managed him. Parker got away with it in the 50`s, but after 1960 he had no idea. Elvis made it despite Parker. Not that Parker did`nt have his good points, he was a good promotions man, if a little on the tacky side.

One point worth reminding ourselves is that Elvis signed off on all these contracts, so it always come back to Elvis.
Also regarding cash flow, if Elvis had been a little more mature regarding his spending habits, he would`nt have had to slog his way around the concert halls in his last years.


As for the 50% cut, was`nt that only regarding the Boxcar deal?

[KPM]

Those who say Elvis would`nt have made it without Parkers help are living in a dream world, Elvis was always going to hit it big with whoever managed him. Parker got away with it in the 50`s, but after 1960 he had no idea. Elvis made it despite Parker. Not that Parker did`nt have his good points, he was a good promotions man, if a little on the tacky side.

One point worth reminding ourselves is that Elvis signed off on all these contracts, so it always come back to Elvis.
Also regarding cash flow, if Elvis had been a little more mature regarding his spending habits, he would`nt have had to slog his way around the concert halls in his last years.


As for the 50% cut, was`nt that only regarding the Boxcar deal?

Sure it always comes back to ELvis-but the Col. had a job to manage and direct Elvis's career. Parkers job was to report offers or procur offers then recommend Elvis which to take and which to turn down. His job as manager was in business to get ELvis the most for his services and to advise him on fiancial matters. That is a managers job for any performer. Parker did not serve Elvis well in that capacity. Parkers sales pitch was you have the talent but you are not business savvy. I am business savvy trust me to do right for you. Parker did not always do right for Elvis. I posted this before-he never got Elvis the royalty rate on his records that the Beatles, Rolling Stones or Elton John had even. Number one record seller of the 50s, number 2 in the 60s? The sales records kept by RCA in the 50s and 60s were atrocious and Parker never called them on it. How many royalties did Elvis never see because of this? How many record sales does Elvis have which he gets no credit for because Parker never pushed this? He signed a long term deal with the International which the Internationals president Mr. Shoofey could not believe-he locked Elvis into for a pittance of what Shoofey was prepared to offer. THis was not in ELvis's best interest.
Doris Day trusted her Husband with her career and found out he had squandered all their money when he died.
John Wayne twice found out his managers had not handled his affairs properly and he rebuilt his financial life twice.
Fats Domino was 4 million in debt to the US because his manager had not paid all the taxes he owed over a number of years.
Willy Nelson also was indebt for years for taxes not being paid by his manager.
Jerry Lee Lewis, trusted his manager and was in tax trouble a couple of times etc etc etc.

[TurnpikeTaylor]

Yep the list of dodgy stuff with artists is a long one, ELO, Small Faces, David Bowie, Bob Mitchum, Chuck Berry etc etc

But its a little different with Parker, as everything he did was out in the open, he was hardly trying to hide things from Elvis, like the other celeb examples we have given.

By the way, i think Doris Day got her money back in the end.

[KPM]

Yep the list of dodgy stuff with artists is a long one, ELO, Small Faces, David Bowie, Bob Mitchum, Chuck Berry etc etc

But its a little different with Parker, as everything he did was out in the open, he was hardly trying to hide things from Elvis, like the other celeb examples we have given.

By the way, i think Doris Day got her money back in the end.

Doris Day in her autobiography states she was broke and had to do a TV series to rebuild her finances-but she never got back the several million she made.
Parker did not make it common knowledge that he was a "consultant" on the RCA payroll. Also that he lost millions in the hotels which he signed contracts for Elvis to perform and some of that debt was forgiven. The court in 1982 called it a conflict of interest if I'm not mistaken which helped severe the Col's ties to the estate.

[TurnpikeTaylor]

It may not have been "common knowledge" but i doubt Elvis did`nt know about Parkers consultant status with RCA, and the fact he was dropping millions at the Hilton casino.The guys around him knew all this.

I still seem to remember Doris sued her hubbys estate or something, and got all her money back..........it was many millions i seem to remember, it was a long to ago i read her biography so i forget the exact amount.

[KPM]

It may not have been "common knowledge" but i doubt Elvis did`nt know about Parkers consultant status with RCA, and the fact he was dropping millions at the Hilton casino.The guys around him knew all this.

I still seem to remember Doris sued her hubbys estate or something, and got all her money back..........it was many millions i seem to remember, it was a long to ago i read her biography so i forget the exact amount.

My point about the Col is not whether Elvis or the guys knew or not-it is conflict of interest when you negotiate for someone with a company you receive any remumeration from of any kind. Parker made a habit of it- it was not right nor fair to ELvis.
Doris could not sue anyone because they were still together when he died -it was then she found out she was broke-there was nothing except her home. There was no one to sue because he had just mishandled her money and had never told her they were living on her current income.

[Suzan]

Thank you KPM!!!!! For ALL you have said, I couldn't agree more.

Jak, lol, yes dear, your right. Wishing you a wonderful day. And please read my post...and other's responses, I said if I misread the post I was sorry but I was not mean on there, unlike some, why are some here mean and feel that they can voice their opinion and other's not?.
Hugs to you.

And oh my gosh the weather in FL must be wreaking havoc w/some peeps.