The King of Rock’ n’ Roll remains iconic over four decades after his untimely death at the age of 42 years old. Elvis Presley rose to fame in the mid-1950s and has maintained his iconic status even in death. Depending on perspective, Presley was able to achieve his status with a little help from his manager Colonel Tom Parker. An interesting character in his own right, Parker could seemingly turn water into wine. He even found a way to make money off of Elvis haters by selling them “I Hate Elvis” merch. Here’s the interesting history behind Parker and his marketing strategy.
Tom Parker is the main antagonist of ‘Elvis’
After first premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022, Warner Bros. Pictures released the biographical drama film Elvis on June 24, 2022. The film is narrated from the perspective of Presley’s infamous manager, Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks.
According to IMDb, Parker was born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk in the Netherlands in 1909. At the age of 19 years old, Parker immigrated illegally to the United States. He quickly enlisted in the U.S. Army under the alias “Tom Parker.” He served for over two years before going AWOL.
Elvis Presley would have been better off without Tom Parker
Parker found work as a carnival worker in the 1930s. He eventually entered the talent management business, meeting a young Elvis Presley in 1955. Parker’s true identity was not revealed until 1960, after one of his sisters, still living in the Netherlands, saw a picture of Parker standing next to Presley.
Parker had sold the story that he had been born in Huntington, West Virginia, in the early 1900s and convinced nearly everyone that his Dutch accent was really a Southern one for over thirty years. Parker never let Presley tour internationally due to his fear of his immigration status being found out. This likely cost the iconic singer millions. Despite being a unique character with questionable morals, Parker always knew how to make a dollar for himself.
Tom Parker found a way to profit off Elvis haters
One way that Parker made a quick buck as Elvis’ manager was by capitalizing on those who didn’t like the singer. Just as much as he had millions of adoring fans, Presley had his fair share of haters. Spurred by racism and fears about sex and sensuality, Presley faced a backlash from the conservative culture which equated Presley’s music to “Devil’s music.”
Being the opportunist he was, Colonel Parker found a way to capitalize on this. He had buttons made up which read, “I Hate Elvis.” This was a way for Parker to get Presley even more exposure and line his pockets with cash from consumers who normally would not be buying Elvis Presley merchandise.
