Having previously sold the rights to Presley's early recordings to RCA he struggled to secure a steady income, and his financial situation worsened after he sustained significant gambling losses.

[1] Thomas Andrew Parker was born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk on June 26, 1909, in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands.

Biographies usually mention 1927 as the year of Parker's first attempt to emigrate to the US, but according to the Holland-Amerika Lijn passenger list that became available online in 2023, he was sent back from New York to the Netherlands on March 20, 1926.

[13] As part of the fundraising, Parker went to Tennessee to find acts to perform at his charity events,[13] among them well-known artists such as Minnie Pearl and Eddy Arnold.

[13] In 1945 Parker became Arnold's full-time manager, signed a contract for 25% of his earnings [14] and over the next few years helped him to secure hit songs, television appearances and live tours.

At this time, Presley was singing in a trio called The Blue Moon Boys, with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black.

[14] Despite this, Phillips was not keen to let him go quickly, advising Parker that he would require $40,000 (US$454,957 in 2023 dollars[10]) to secure the release of Presley's contract, an utterly unheard-of sum at the time.

However, RCA Victor producer Steve Sholes was convinced that Presley's style of music would be a massive hit if he signed with the right label, and he began talks with Parker.

[14] Around the same time, realizing the deal for Presley might fall through due to the cost of the contract, Parker attempted to sell Tommy Sands to RCA.

[19] In return for a more significant financial stake in the deal, Neal agreed not to renew his management contract with Presley after it expired in March 1956,[20] allowing Parker the opportunity to claim the job for himself.

[31] Parker ensured that the agreement allowed Presley the freedom to make at least one film a year with another studio and also managed to set up an office, with staff, at Paramount.

[32] In 1957, Parker finally managed to give Tommy Sands his big break by arranging for him to audition for and star in an episode of Kraft Television Theater called "The Singin' Idol".

[39] Parker, not one to forget harsh criticism, stated that the fee would be $125,000 (equivalent to about $1,287,000 in 2023) for two songs, a total of eight minutes on screen; Sinatra himself was receiving a lower sum for the whole show,[40] but he agreed.

[41] When Presley complained to him that he wanted better scripts, Parker reminded him of his lavish lifestyle and that risking $1 million a year for doing practically no work was dangerous.

Parker decided that Las Vegas was the perfect place to have the wedding,[43] and on May 1, 1967, the couple was married in a quiet ceremony that lasted only eight minutes and had a handful of guests.

[45] It took the 1968 television special Elvis, which was sponsored by Singer sewing machines, and a subsequent series of recording sessions in Memphis, Tennessee, that included songs such as "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto", to restore Presley's musical reputation.

[49] On July 8, 1972, inspired by the visit of President Richard Nixon to China a few months earlier,[50] Parker announced that there would be a worldwide satellite broadcast from Hawaii to allow the whole world the chance to see a Presley concert, "since we can't play in every major city".

Parker held another press conference in Las Vegas on September 4, 1972, to confirm that the concert, now titled Aloha from Hawaii, would be broadcast on January 14, 1973.

[51] Parker received a letter from Honolulu Advertiser columnist Eddie Sherman two weeks after the Las Vegas press conference.

[58] Although Parker publicly denied these claims, he had been in talks with Peter Grant, the manager of Led Zeppelin, about the possibility of him overseeing a European tour for Presley.

"[60] Almost immediately, before even visiting Graceland, Parker traveled to New York City to meet with merchandising associates and executives with RCA Records, instructing them to prepare for a huge demand in Elvis Presley products.

Mourners recall being surprised at his wearing a Hawaiian shirt and baseball cap, smoking his trademark cigar, and purposely avoiding the casket.

[63] Due to an ill-advised agreement between Parker and Presley that gave RCA sole ownership of all his recording royalties prior to 1973, the estate was relying heavily on the income from Factors Etc.

[4] In January 1979, it was discovered that Presley had lost out on royalties for songs on which he had been listed as an author or composer because Parker had unwisely advised him not to sign up with ASCAP or its younger competitor, BMI.

[5] However, Judge Joseph Evans, aware that Lisa Marie Presley was still a minor, appointed attorney Blanchard E. Tual to investigate Parker's management.

He claimed he had run away from home at an early age to join a circus owned by an uncle, then served in the U.S. Army prior to his involvement as a music manager.

The truth about his early years was revealed in 1960 when one of Parker's sisters, Nel Dankers-van Kuijk, living in the Netherlands, recognized him in photographs standing next to Presley.

[71] Some suggested that Parker married Marie to disguise his illegal status in the United States; a marriage to a U.S. citizen with a child could help him bury his past in a "ready-made family".

Fans and biographers alike believe that one of the main reasons Parker signed Presley to a Vegas hotel in 1969 for his live comeback was to help cover losses at their casino.

[78] His funeral was held a few days later at the Hilton Hotel and was attended by a handful of friends and former associates, including Eddy Arnold and Sam Phillips.