Netflix’s new documentary The Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley revisits the period in Presley’s career when he was at a crossroads. Converted seven years earlier from singer to movie star by his influential manager, Colonel Tom Parker, Presley was dissatisfied and restless. Elvis’ film roles became increasingly unsatisfying and he longed to sing again. Then, in 1968, Parker organized a pivotal television special to reintroduce Elvis to the public.
The Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley revisits the preparation for the event and the tensions between Elvis Presley and Tom Parker. As portrayed in other media focusing on Elvis’ life, the couple’s relationship was often stormy. However, the two men had a profound influence on each other.
Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley’s partnership after their 1968 comeback explained
Parker and Presley’s relationship went sour
Despite Parker’s influence in putting his stage career on hold, Presley had much to thank the Colonel for and knew it. “I wasn’t known until Colonel Parker started managing me,” he says in The Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley. Parker deftly managed Presley’s two-year hiatus from the militarycausing him to record many songs before shipping out to Germany and then releasing single after single, so Presley had over 40 top 10 hits during this period. Upon his return, it was Parker who negotiated the lucrative film contracts that secured Presley’s wealth and fame.
But Special ’68 marked the beginning of their relationship’s decline. Presley found himself as a singer again, while Parker wanted him to continue on the big screen. Parker negotiated Presley’s Las Vegas residency for $125,000 a week while maintaining his 50% manager fee.which would later become a bone of contention. As part of the deal, Parker included $50,000 per year.”consultant“rate. As Presley’s health deteriorated under the weight of prescription medications, the two men separated. After a concert in Las Vegas in September 1973, the two men argued over Presley’s contract at the Hilton Hotel, and Presley immediately fired Parker on the spot.
What happened to Colonel Parker after Elvis’ death
Parker was sued by Presley’s estate
As pictured in The Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presleythe two later reconciled, but the relationship was irreparably broken. After Elvis’ death in 1977, it was rumored that Parker acted as if nothing had happened, and when he showed up to Presley’s funeral wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a baseball cap, the Presley estate began taking a closer look at Parker’s management contracts. When it was discovered that Parker had lost millions of dollars in poorly negotiated deals with RCA and huge royalties by not signing with BMI or ASCAP, Elvis Presley Enterprises sued Parker for mismanagement in 1981.
Despite this, Parker continued to consult for Hilton Hotels until his death. He lived in the same fourth-floor suite as he did during Elvis’ residency, but, having accumulated serious gambling debts, he was eventually evicted. Despite his legal troubles with Presley’s estate, he remained involved in Presley’s legacyorganizing the tenth annual fan convention event in 1987 and participating in some of the many posthumous events honoring the singer. At age 87, suffering from diabetes, gout and a series of other health problems, he succumbed to a stroke on January 27, 1997, in a Las Vegas hospital – an episode not covered in this article. The Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley.