Review by Booklist Review
Born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk in Breda, Holland, Colonel Tom Parker (the governor of Louisiana bestowed the appellation "Colonel," which Parker subsequently used as his first name) was the promoter par excellence who managed Elvis Presley, making him the most successful star on the planet. Young Parker ran away from home and joined the circus, where he embraced the carny lifestyle and acquired skills that would greatly benefit him. He arrived in the States as a stowaway, joined the army, and became a dogcatcher before getting into music promotion with recording stars Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow. He became Elvis' all-inclusive, one-artist manager in 1955. Parker has been cast as the villain who exploited Elvis (see Tom Hanks in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis), but Guralnick (Looking to Get Lost, 2020) demonstrates Parker's dedication as he successfully negotiated contracts with record labels, movie studios, and casinos. Guralnick covers Parker's estrangement from his Dutch family, his relationship with his wives and adopted families, and his gambling problem and shares the joys, pain, and difficulties of his partnership with the spendthrift, drug-addled Elvis. With unique access to an incredible stash of correspondence, Guralnick reveals Parker's charm, humor, genius, and audacity, depicting a genuine person, not the sinister Svengali of other accounts.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Though frequently painted as a villain who destroyed Elvis Presley's career, Colonel Tom Parker was actually a freewheeling business genius who deeply cared for his client, according to this sprawling biography. Drawing from never-before-seen letters, biographer Guralnick (Careless Love) tracks Parker from his 1909 birth in the Netherlands as Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk to his escape for America at 17, where he changed his name to Parker. He joined a series of carnivals, honing his promotional skills, which he leveraged into managing country stars such as Hank Snow. After Parker heard Presley perform in early 1955 he took him on as a client, buying out Presley's contract with Sun Records, moving him to RCA, and garnering him TV exposure. Yet as his client's star rose and Presley started to sink into addiction, their bond began to fracture, and the two "fired each other" during an explosive argument in 1973; though they reconciled and Parker resumed managing Elvis until his 1977 death, their relationship had been irreparably damaged. Guralnick's brisk prose, assiduous attention to detail, and generous insights make this both an engrossing study of the complex interpersonal dynamics between two outsize personalities and a revealing peek into the making one of rock 'n' roll's biggest acts. Presley fans won't be able to put this down. (Aug.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Guralnick follows up his previous two crowd-pleasing Elvis biographies, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love, with a much-needed, myth-busting biography of Colonel Tom Parker (1909--97), Elvis's longtime manager. The book begins with Parker's childhood in Holland (he was born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk) and his teenage wanderlust--he repeatedly stowed away on ships bound for the United States; he finally settled in the U.S. and joined the army. Guralnick follows Parker in his stints with circuses and carnivals, where he learned his promotional tricks, and details his breakthrough into the music industry with singers Gene Austin, Eddy Arnold, and Hank Snow. The book recounts the 1956 alliance between an up-and-coming Elvis and Parker, who ceaselessly and successfully promoted the singer to idol status. Parker oversaw Presley during his army stint, brokered deals for over 30 Elvis movies, and orchestrated Elvis's 1968 comeback. The book concludes by discussing Parker's gambling addiction and Presley's fatal dependence on prescription drugs. The final section includes transcripts of Parker's letters. VERDICT Guralnick offers a compelling narrative for anyone interested in rock-and-roll. He dispels the image of Parker as a money-hungry leech by convincingly casting him as a hard-working, honest manager who cared deeply for his client.--Dr. Dave Szatmary
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Helping crown the King of Rock and Roll. Born in the Netherlands in 1909, Andreas Cornelis Kuijk spent much of his youth running away from home. In his teens, he entered the U.S. illegally and after a period of wandering changed his name to Tom Parker. In 1929 he joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Hawaii. After his discharge, he worked in carnivals--perfecting his approach to promotion--and ran a humane society in Tampa, Florida, before launching on a career of managing singers. His clients included country stars Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow, but when he discovered Elvis Presley in 1955, his future course was set. Guralnick closely follows Presley's career and Parker's maneuvers to maximize his client's exposure and income, with lots of detail on negotiations with his record company, RCA, and movie studios. Readers also learn about Parker's personal life, including his Snowmen's League of America, a celebrity-loaded group dedicated to poking good-natured fun at himself and other members. After Presley's death, Parker continued to represent his late client's interests on behalf of his estate. The second half of the book is made up of letters by Parker and others, with haphazard punctuation and misspellings--and his inimitable sense of humor. They offer a direct look at his promotional style and his sometimes trying relationship with his client at the peak of the singer's career and in its eventual decline. An intriguing perspective on the music business when rock was first making its mark, and a special treat for Presley fans. A fascinating look at a truly unique personality and his direction of Elvis' career. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
