It was the beginning of a staggering run of chart-toppers that would last into the early '60s. Presley's fame came at a price, though, with Parker taking up to 50% of the singer's earnings, whereas most managers took 10 to 15%.
After his own death, the Colonel's estate was worth barely $1 million, despite most estimates putting Parker's earnings during his lifetime as being in excess of $100 million.
At the time of Presley's death in 1977, it was suspected that Parker owed the Las Vegas Hilton over $30 million ($144,876,442 in 2022 dollars) in gambling losses. After a lifetime that saw him earn in excess of $100 million, Parker's estate was worth barely $1 million when he died.
Since he had never applied for U.S. citizenship, he was essentially a man without a country and no one had jurisdiction over him. Such tactics delayed resolution so long that the Presley estate finally settled with Parker, and he received a $2 million settlement from RCA Records.
The Colonel travelled to Memphis for the funeral, where he turned up dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and baseball cap, and smoked his trademark cigar. It was reported that at the funeral, he persuaded Presley's father to sign over control of Presley's career in death to him.
Although Parker himself would live for another 20 years after Presley, dying at 87 in 1997, a big part of him died with Elvis.
Towards the end of his career, the Colonel was taking a 50% commission, which was considered completely exploitative. Elvis Presley's performance in Hawaii in 1973 was the first performance telecast via satellite to the world.
The Wanted singer Tom Parker was unable to make a valid will before he died, leaving £70,000 to his widow Kelsey.
Lisa Marie became the the sole owner of the mansion when the trust holding her inheritance dissolved on her 25th birthday in 1993. Graceland has become a popular tourist attraction over the years, with public tours on offer as well as sprawling museum exhibits.
That led to a colossal shouting match afterwards with Parker and talk of firing and quitting on both their parts, with Colonel ultimately presenting a bill that the Presleys could not pay. And so things resumed as they had been. Elvis would never have been so crass as to have fired Colonel from the stage.
Today, the Presley estate is estimated to be worth between $400 million and $500 million, according to one Presley exec. That's less than the Beatles (whose song catalog is said to be worth more than $1 billion) and Queen (thanks to Bohemian Rhapsody, the surviving members top Presley at $575 million).
While Presley's star rose, his band remained on a fixed salary, causing increasing dissension. In a joint interview with The Memphis Press-Scimitar in late 1956, his three sidemen said they were being paid $200 a week when on tour (the article called that “good money for sidemen”) and $100 a week the rest of the time.
Unbeknownst to Presley, Parker negotiated a side agreement with the casino where his gambling debts were forgiven, and Parker got unlimited credit as long as Presley continued performing at the casino. Presley eventually discovered Parker's true intentions and attempted to fire Parker.
The president of the UK Elvis fan club clarified that The Colonel took 25 percent of The King's earnings, which was the industry standard at the time. He claimed there was in fact only a 50 percent split when it came to licensing and merchandise.
He was believed to have been in debt to the Las Vegas Hilton for over $30 million at one point, which led to his eviction from the property after Elvis' death. Parker suffered a stroke in 1997, dying at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada after years of declining health, survived only by his second wife.
Kelsey Parker, who shares two children with the late Gold Forever hit-maker, is said to be seeing electrician Sean Boggans, 39, after meeting him while taking a break with friends in Lindos, Rhodes, in September.
Tom Parker's widow Kelsey Parker has reportedly split from her boyfriend of five months, Sean Boggans. Kelsey, 32, reportedly started dating electrician Sean eight months after her husband Tom passed away from incurable cancer.
Elvis Presley was furious with Parker's actions. According to TVTropes.com, he demanded that the album be taken off the market. Evidently, the debacle wasn't serious enough for Elvis to confront his manager. Whether he truly wanted to fire Parker or not, death was the only thing that could split the two apart.
$125,000 The amount of money Elvis earned per week to perform in Las Vegas.
After Elvis's death in 1977, his father Vernon was one of the executors of his estate, which was held in trust for his daughter Lisa Marie. Vernon named Priscilla to be his successor upon his death. She assumed the role following Vernon's 1979 death.
Did Ginger Alden Attend Elvis' Funeral? Yes. As his fiancée at the time, it is believed that Ginger Alden was present for Elvis' funeral. Following the funeral, however, she was reportedly banned from Graceland by Presley's family and had to receive permission to visit his grave.
Austin Butler And Kaia Gerber Attend Lisa Marie Presley's Memorial Service - YouTube.
The documents outline how the estate will be split between Lisa Marie's family members and specify that Priscilla will be buried at Graceland as near as possible to Elvis, her ex-husband.
Colonel Tom Parker was likely moved to tears for two reasons. One, was that he loved seeing "his boy" do so well at his craft. But the other reason was purely financial.