TLDR: Colonel Tom Parker wasn’t a real colonel and wasn’t even American. He was an illegal immigrant from the Netherlands named Andreas van Kuijk who possibly fled a murder investigation.
He was discharged from the Army for psychopathy, worked as a carnival scam artist, and became Elvis’s manager by taking an unheard-of 50% commission.
Parker made terrible decisions including selling Elvis’s entire music catalog to RCA in 1973 for just $5.4 million (he took half). He blocked Elvis from touring internationally because he couldn’t get a passport. His gambling addiction cost Elvis millions.
After Elvis died, the estate sued him for fraud and found he’d stolen $7-8 million. He died nearly broke in 1997.
Colonel Tom Parker is one of the most controversial figures in music history. He made Elvis Presley a superstar, but he also exploited him, controlled him, and made decisions that cost the Elvis estate hundreds of millions of dollars.
The wildest part?
Almost everything about Parker was a lie. His name, his rank, his nationality, his entire background. He was literally a fugitive con artist who happened to manage the biggest star in the world.
Here’s the real story of Colonel Tom Parker and how he ripped off Elvis Presley.
He Wasn’t a Colonel and His Real Name Was Andreas van Kuijk
The “Colonel” title was completely fake. It was an honorary title given to him by Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis in 1948 as a political reward, not an actual military rank. Parker never served as an officer in any military.
And Tom Parker wasn’t even his real name.
He was born Andreas Cornelis “Dries” van Kuijk on June 26, 1909 in Breda, Netherlands. He was the seventh child of a delivery driver. As a teenager, he ran away from home repeatedly and worked odd jobs for traveling circuses.
In 1929, he left the Netherlands for good, entering the United States illegally and never becoming a citizen. For his entire life managing Elvis, he was technically an illegal immigrant living under a stolen identity.
He fabricated a backstory claiming he was born in Huntington, West Virginia and was orphaned young. The whole persona was designed to hide his Dutch past and his accent, which he tried to pass off as a Southern drawl.
He Probably Fled a Murder Investigation
Why did Andreas van Kuijk suddenly flee the Netherlands in 1929 and never return?
On May 17, 1929, just before van Kuijk disappeared, a 23-year-old woman named Anna van den Enden was bludgeoned to death in her home in Breda. The murder, apparently a robbery gone wrong, was never solved.
Journalist Alanna Nash uncovered circumstantial evidence linking van Kuijk to the crime. The timing is damning. He fled almost immediately after the murder happened.
Members of the Memphis Mafia later described Parker as having an “ungovernable temper” and being capable of sudden violence. When Dutch family members were interviewed decades later, some admitted it was “quite possible” that Dries had killed the woman.
There’s no definitive proof, but Parker’s lifelong paranoia about background checks, his refusal to ever get a passport, and his extreme aversion to official documentation all fit the behavior of a fugitive.
If true, his entire existence in America was built on hiding from a murder charge. That would explain why he refused to let Elvis tour internationally, which would have required Parker to get a passport and risk deportation.
The Army Diagnosed Him as a Psychopath
Despite being undocumented, Parker managed to enlist in the US Army in 1929. He was stationed in Hawaii and Florida and initially did fine, even getting promoted to Private First Class.
But in September 1932, he went AWOL.
Apparently the Ringling Brothers circus came through town and he just ditched his post to follow it. He stayed gone for five months before returning in February 1933.
The Army threw him in solitary confinement for 60 days as punishment. When he got out, he was in visible mental distress. They sent him to Walter Reed Army Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation.
In August 1933, at age 24, Parker was discharged from the Army with an “honorable disability discharge.” But the medical diagnosis was brutal: “Psychosis, Psychogenic Depression, acute, on the basis of Constitutional Psychopathic State, Emotional Instability.”
In 1930s medical terminology, this was basically a diagnosis of psychopathy. Someone lacking empathy, emotionally unstable, and fundamentally detached from social norms.
This diagnosis explains everything about how Parker treated Elvis. He didn’t see Elvis as a human being. He saw him as “my attraction,” like one of his carnival acts. Just a product to exploit.
The Carnival Scams That Taught Him Everything
After his discharge, Parker went to Tampa, Florida and dove into the traveling carnival world. This is where he learned all the tricks he’d use on Elvis.
The carnival operated on a simple philosophy: there are “carnies” (insiders) and “marks” (suckers to be fleeced). Parker learned that the product didn’t matter. What mattered was the pitch.
Here are some of his scams from this period:
The Dancing Chickens:
He’d put live chickens on a hot plate covered with straw. As it heated up, the chickens would “dance” to music to avoid burning their feet. People paid to watch.
Painted Sparrows:
He’d paint sparrows yellow and sell them as canaries.
The Bible Scam:
This one was particularly cruel. He’d scan obituaries for recent widows, then show up at their homes claiming the dead husband had ordered an expensive inscribed Bible as a final gift. The grieving women would pay the inflated price, touched by the gesture.
This showed Parker’s willingness to exploit deep emotional vulnerability for profit, a tactic he’d later use on Vernon Presley.
In 1940, Parker got a job with the Hillsborough County Humane Society. Even in this charitable role, he found an angle. He started the area’s first pet cemetery, buying small tombstones for $15 and reselling them to grieving pet owners for up to $100 as part of “deluxe funeral packages.”
The lesson was clear: grief is profitable.
How He Got the Fake “Colonel” Title
As carnivals declined, Parker moved into country music promotion in the late 1940s, managing singers like Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow.
In 1948, he worked on the gubernatorial campaign for Jimmie Davis, a country singer running for Louisiana governor. Parker used his carnival tricks to draw crowds, organizing rallies that were more spectacle than politics.
When Davis won, he rewarded Parker with an honorary title of “Colonel” in the Louisiana State Militia. It meant absolutely nothing, but Parker seized on it and insisted everyone call him Colonel for the rest of his life.
It was the ultimate con. The illegal immigrant Army deserter diagnosed as a psychopath was now “Colonel” Tom Parker. The title gave him authority and respectability that helped mask his criminal past.
How He Took Over Elvis’s Career
In 1955, Elvis was signed to Sun Records and managed by Bob Neal.
Parker, working with country singer Hank Snow under “Hank Snow Attractions,” saw Elvis as more than just a singer. He saw a phenomenon he could exploit.
Parker launched a systematic campaign to isolate Elvis from his current management. He used Hank Snow’s credibility to get close to Elvis’s parents, Vernon and Gladys.
Vernon was an uneducated man who’d served prison time for forgery. He was insecure and easily impressed by Parker’s authoritative “Colonel” persona. Gladys was more skeptical, distrusting Parker’s “taking ways,” but Parker eventually wore her down.
Parker engineered the sale of Elvis’s contract from Sun Records to RCA Victor for $35,000 plus a $5,000 bonus for Elvis. It was an unprecedented sum at the time.
Then Parker did something ruthless. He cut his partner Hank Snow completely out of the deal. When Snow asked about their joint contract to manage Elvis, Parker showed him a document naming Parker as sole manager and said, “Elvis Presley is managed by Colonel Tom Parker and nobody else!”
This betrayal established Parker’s operating model: total control, shared with no one.
He Invented Modern Celebrity Merchandising
In 1956, Parker executed a masterclass in promotion. He booked Elvis on every major TV show and leveraged the controversy over Elvis’s “gyrating” hips to drive ratings. When critics attacked Elvis as a bad influence, Parker recognized that outrage fueled curiosity.
But Parker’s real innovation was merchandising. He partnered with Hank Saperstein to form Boxcar Enterprises and licensed Elvis’s image for everything: charm bracelets, lipsticks, record cases, bubble gum cards.
In a stroke of cynical genius, Parker even authorized “I Hate Elvis” buttons. He figured if people were going to hate his client, he might as well profit from that too.
By the end of 1956, merchandise sales hit an estimated $22 million. Parker had basically invented modern celebrity merchandising.
Why Elvis Never Toured Internationally
In 1958, Elvis was drafted into the Army. Parker could have pulled strings to get Elvis into Special Services, where he’d safely entertain troops. Instead, Parker insisted Elvis serve as a regular soldier in Germany.
Parker spun this as brilliant PR to win over older, conservative Americans. But there was a darker reason.
Special Services would have meant touring overseas extensively. As an illegal immigrant with no passport, Parker couldn’t accompany Elvis abroad. If Elvis went alone, he might realize he didn’t need Parker. Or worse, Parker’s immigration status might get exposed.
By keeping Elvis in regular Army service stationed in Germany, Parker maintained control.
This is also why Elvis never did a world tour at the height of his fame. Parker’s illegal status meant Elvis’s career was confined to the United States.
He Captured Vernon After Gladys Died
While Elvis was in the Army, his mother Gladys died in 1958. Her death devastated Elvis and removed the one person who’d been skeptical of Parker.
Parker moved fast. At the funeral, he was already working on Vernon, convincing him to cede complete control of Elvis’s financial affairs.
With Gladys gone and Elvis emotionally shattered, Parker’s hold on the family became absolute. He created a dependency in Vernon, who was terrified of returning to poverty. Vernon became convinced that only the Colonel could keep the money flowing.
This gave Parker total control for the next 19 years.
The Hollywood Movies Were About Parker’s Greed
When Elvis returned from the Army, Parker shifted strategy from live performance to Hollywood films. The rationale was purely about Parker’s immigration problem. Movies provided guaranteed income with zero risk of international travel.
Parker negotiated deals where Elvis got high salaries (often $1 million per picture) plus profit percentages. Parker took a 25% commission on the salary, but he also negotiated “consultant fees” for himself that weren’t shared with Elvis.
The films became formulaic garbage. Elvis plays a race car driver, meets a girl, sings mediocre songs, wins. Parker blocked serious acting roles like West Side Story or A Star Is Born because they didn’t pay enough upfront.
He also demanded songwriters give up huge percentages of publishing rights, which drove away top talent. As a result, Elvis recorded inferior material for a decade of artistic stagnation.
Parker didn’t care about Elvis’s artistic legacy. He cared about immediate cash.
His Gambling Addiction Destroyed Elvis
The 1968 Comeback Special revitalized Elvis’s career. But instead of capitalizing with a world tour, Parker signed Elvis to a residency at the International Hotel (later the Las Vegas Hilton) in 1969.
Why? Because Parker had a massive gambling addiction.
Parker was a “whale” in Vegas casinos, losing millions at roulette and craps. The casinos held his gambling markers (debts). To satisfy these debts and maintain his line of credit, Parker committed Elvis to grueling schedules: two shows a night, seven days a week, for weeks on end.
One famous agreement was reportedly scribbled on a tablecloth, locking Elvis into long-term engagements at fixed rates that quickly became below market value. While other artists commanded higher fees, Elvis was essentially working off the Colonel’s gambling debts.
Parker lost an estimated $30 million gambling in 1970s dollars.
He spent 12-14 hours a day at the casino, leaving Elvis isolated in his penthouse, sinking into prescription drug addiction to cope with the physical demands.
The Worst Deal in Music History: The 1973 Catalog Sale
In March 1973, Parker made a decision that’s considered the worst deal in music history.
He sold the rights to Elvis’s entire back catalog (all master recordings before 1973) to RCA for a lump sum of $5.4 million. The deal was catastrophic:
The money was split 50/50 between Elvis and Parker. Each got $2.7 million.
In exchange, Elvis forfeited all future royalties on his biggest hits forever. “Hound Dog.” “Jailhouse Rock.” “Love Me Tender.” “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” “Suspicious Minds.” All of it, gone.
Parker needed immediate cash to cover his gambling losses. By taking 50% of the buyout, he prioritized his liquidity over Elvis’s long-term wealth.
The Elvis estate still makes almost nothing from streaming those songs today because Parker sold the rights for a one-time payment in 1973.
He Took 50% of Everything
Standard management commissions in the music industry are 10-15%. By the mid-1970s, Parker had restructured his contract to take 50% of all Elvis’s earnings from concerts, merchandise, and royalties.
Parker justified this by claiming he and Elvis were “partners” in a joint venture. It was a legal fiction he used to siphon half the gross income while Elvis bore most of the expenses for touring, band salaries, and the entourage.
Elvis was making millions, but Parker was taking half before Elvis even saw it.
What Happened After Elvis Died
Elvis died on August 16, 1977. At the funeral, Parker didn’t mourn. He wore a Hawaiian shirt and baseball cap, chomping his cigar, and immediately cornered Vernon to make sure he stayed in control of the estate.
He famously said, “Elvis didn’t die. The body did. We’re keeping up the spirit.”
But in 1979, after Vernon died, the court appointed a guardian to protect Lisa Marie’s interests. The guardian, Blanchard Tual, started investigating the estate’s finances and found a shocking web of fraud.
The Investigation Found Parker Stole Millions
The Tual Report in 1980 exposed everything:
Parker had consistently placed his own financial interests above Elvis’s. The 50% commission was “exorbitant” and “unconscionable” compared to industry norms. The 1973 catalog sale was a breach of fiduciary duty, with Parker colluding with RCA for a quick payout at the estate’s expense.
Parker had failed to register Elvis with BMI for songwriting royalties, costing the estate millions.
Tual concluded Parker had defrauded the estate of an estimated $7-8 million in just the three years before Elvis died.
The estate sued Parker in 1982 for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. Parker countersued, threatening to reveal embarrassing details about Elvis’s personal life.
In 1983, they reached a settlement. The estate severed all ties with Parker and removed him from any future earnings. Parker got a $2 million payout in exchange for his collection of audio masters and memorabilia.
That was it. After 22 years of taking 50% of everything Elvis earned, Parker walked away with $2 million.
He Died Nearly Broke
Stripped of his “attraction,” Parker spent his remaining years in Las Vegas. He kept gambling, though with smaller stakes as his fortune dwindled.
Despite earning an estimated $100 million during his lifetime, Parker’s estate was worth less than $1 million when he died of a stroke on January 21, 1997. He was 87 years old.
He died as he lived: a man of secrets, never having obtained US citizenship or a passport. The illegal immigrant from Breda who’d been running his whole life finally stopped running.
Why Parker’s Story Matters
Colonel Tom Parker was a con artist who happened to manage the biggest star in the world. He was brilliant at promotion and merchandising, basically inventing the modern celebrity machine. But he was also a parasitic manager whose greed and fear of deportation stunted Elvis’s artistic growth and global reach.
He protected Elvis from scandals and business rivals, but he couldn’t protect Elvis from the one person exploiting him the most: Parker himself.
The worst part? Parker’s terrible decisions still affect the Elvis estate today. The 1973 catalog sale means the estate makes almost nothing from Elvis’s biggest hits. The family has to rely on Graceland tours and merchandise instead of music royalties.
Elvis died at 42, his body destroyed by prescription drugs and the relentless schedule Parker demanded to pay off gambling debts. Parker lived another 20 years and died nearly broke, having gambled away the fortune he stole.
In the end, the “Colonel” was the ultimate carnival barker, and Elvis was the ultimate mark.
One died trying to satisfy the other’s addiction, and both lost everything.
