Colonel Tom Parker

Greatly Appreciated

COLONEL TOM PARKER
 
 
Colonel Tom Parker  (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk; June 26, 1909 – January 21, 1997) was the Dutch-born American manager of Elvis Presley.  His success with Presley defined the role of masterminding talent management, which involved every facet of the client's life and was seen as central to the success of Presley's career.  Parker's exceptionally high earnings have led some to question whether it came at the detriment of his client.  While other managers took compensation in the range of 10–15 percent of earnings, Parker took as much as 50 percent toward the end of Presley's life.  Presley said of Parker, "I don't think I'd have ever been very big if it wasn't for him.  He's a very smart man."  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 
Dark Carnival was sort of a Detroit punk supergroup that was assembled by Detroit music promoter Colonel Galaxy, whose name was a nod to Elvis Presley’s longtime manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Bootsey X was the first bandmember to be recruited; others included his bandmate in the Ramrods, Mark Norton, plus (as listed in Wikipedia): “Gary Adams from the Cubes [who was also a sometime bandmember in the Lovemasters], Mike McFeaters from What Jane Shared, Jerry Vile from the Boners, Sarana VerLin from Natasha, Greasy Carlisi from Motor City Bad Boys, Robert Gordon and Art Lyzak from the Mutants, Joe Hayden from Bugs Bedow, Pete Bankert from Weapons, [and] Larry Steel from the Cult Heroes.
 
“Later, Dark Carnival saw some turnover, with the ‘big’ names signing on: Niagara from Destroy All Monsters, Ron [Asheton] and Scott Asheton from the Stooges, Cheetah Chrome from the Dead Boys, Jim Carroll even came in from New York.”
 
(March 2016)
Last edited: March 22, 2021