Ironically enough, just as Elvis' popularity is palpably waning, if the lack of success of recent associated shows and attractions is anything to judge by, the fascination with Elvis continues at Question of the Day, where today we commence an epic trilogy responding to this query all about The King's finances and his controversial relationship with his manager.
As far as Elvis' coiffure was concerned, he thought it would give him a more dangerous look if he were black-haired. At first, he used shoe polish to get the effect. Later, he graduated to Miss Clairol 51D and Black Velvet & Mink Brown by Paramount. This is considered one of the lesser-known facts of Elvis' life and the jet-black locks have become so inextricably woven into his iconography that … well, have you ever seen a blonde Elvis impersonator? (Although born blonde, Presley's hair had mellowed to a light brown before the dye jobs started.)
Eventually, Presley had his own full-time hair stylist, Larry Geller, reported Lilit Marcus: "They often spent whole weeks together as Geller did Elvis’ hair for film shoots and then spent all day on set adjusting the do and making it sure it looked consistent between scenes." The dye jobs – Elvis having now switched to L'Oreal – took place every two to three weeks.
As for Elvis and Colonel Thomas Andrew "Tom" Parker, who referred to his meal ticket as "a million-dollar pair of sideburns," theirs was reportedly a love-hate relationship. Parker's shady background – he used to paint sparrows yellow and peddle them as canaries, for instance – curbed Presley's ability to perform overseas. Having entered the United States – twice – illegally, if Parker left there was a serious danger he wouldn't be let back in. He was born in Breda, Holland, in 1909, as Andreas Cornelius van Kuijk.
Young van Kujik snuck into the U.S the second time as a carny. The "Tom Parker" handle was adopted after he joined the U.S. Army and wanted to cover his tracks. However, Parker's carnival background made him a natural for promoting musical talent, starting with pop vocalist Gene Austin. (During his second stint as manager, Parker would command 25 percent of Austin's income.) From there, he got into fundraising for the Hillsborough County Humane Society, which brought him into the sphere of Nashville's starrier talent.
Parker obtained the "Colonel" title from Louisiana Gov. Jimmie Davis, as a favor for Parker's help on Davis' 1948 gubernatorial campaign. (Elvis preferred to call him "Admiral.") He found a protégé in Tommy Sands, in 1952, but Sands resisted Parker's inclination to make him a cowboy star. Three years later, Parker crossed paths with Presley and the rest, as they say, is history.
To some extent, Presley's parents were culpable for the Colonel's Svengali-like hold on Presley, for he was short of his majority when Parker sought to manage him and the elder Presleys had to sign the contract on their son's behalf. "I've always known and now my folks are assured that you are the best, most wonderful person I could work with. Believe when I say I will stay with you through thick and thin," Presley wrote after Parker signed him with RCA.
Colonel Parker wasn't beyond playing both ends against the middle to get himself the best deal. When RCA balked at his price for Presley, he offered Tommy Sands as an affordable substitute. (RCA declined.) The King supposedly chafed at the creative restrictions Parker placed on him, always aiming for the lowest common denominator. When the drama Wild in the Country failed at the box office, Parker ruled risky movie roles off-limits, condemning him to a future of bubble-gum cinema. According to Hound Dog co-author Jerry Leiber, when Elvis was floated a role in an Elia Kazan project, Parker vetoed it in violent terms, threatening to have Leiber blackballed for conveying such offers.
However, while he enriched himself, to be certain, Parker also made plenty of money for his primary client. Presley became America's highest-paid TV star on the strength of the appearance fees Parker negotiated for him to perform on venues like "The Ed Sullivan Show". (Later, after Elvis had completed his U.S. Army service, Parker would negotiate a $125,000 fee for him to perform two songs on Frank Sinatra's TV show, a windfall that exceeded Sinatra's own paycheck.) A 1956 merchandising deal with Hank Saperstein yielded $22 million by year's end – with Parker taking home a quarter of the haul. He even stage-managed every step of Elvis' famous Army induction, including persuading him not to enlist in the Special Services, fearing a media backlash. Parker would later repeat the Svengali act when he choreographed Elvis' wedding to Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin, in Las Vegas.
Tomorrow: Colonel Parker crafts a foresighted deal that makes him more money than it does Elvis.
