The Colonel (69 page)

CHAPTER 20: LIVING TOO LONG: LITIGATION AND LONELINESS

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“represent and defend the interests of Lisa Marie Presley”:
Amended Report of Guardian
ad litem,
July 31, 1981.

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“all agreements with Elvis Presley terminated on his death”:
Amended Report of Guardian
ad litem,
September 30,
1980.

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“I’m sure a lot of people see him”:
Mike Crowley to author, 1998.

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“You can’t paint Parker as an angel”:
Stan Soocher to author, 1999.

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“Most people would say”:
David Skepner to author, 1997.

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“While he kept getting a higher proportion”:
Joe Galante to author, 1998.

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“How can you argue”:
Barry Coburn to author, 1997.

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“When he was working for Elvis”:
D. Beecher Smith II quoted in
People
February 3, 1997.

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“contractual barriers”:
D. Beecher Smith II quoted in
Tennessean,
December 11, 1980.

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“I’m not prepared to paint Parker black”:
D. Beecher Smith II quoted in Soocher,
They Fought the Law
.

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“I got the feeling”:
Blanchard E. Tual quoted in
Tennessean,
December 11, 1980.

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$7 or $8 million:
Blanchard E. Tual in Soocher,
They Fought the Law
.

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“He had it from the eyebrows up”:
Blanchard E. Tual to Constant Meijers, raw interview transcript from the documentary
Looking for Colonel Parker,
1999.

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“the worst decision ever made in the history of rock ’n’ roll”:
Blanchard E. Tual quoted in Soocher,
They Fought
the Law
.

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“the conscious decision to make as much money”:
Amended Report of Guardian
ad litem,
July 31, 1981.

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“Elvis had thirty-three songs”:
Joe Moscheo to Beverly Keel for author, 1998.

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“collusion, conspiracy, fraud”:
Amended Report of Guardian
ad litem,
July 31, 1981.

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“the compensation received by Colonel Parker”:
Judge Joseph W. Evans quoted in
People,
August 31, 1981.

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“enter into any future agreements with Parker”:
Randell Beck and Richard Powelson, “Judge Halts Payments to Col.
Parker,”
Memphis Press-Scimitar,
August 14, 1981.

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$25,000 for small talk, $100,000 for a long conversation:
Richard Harrington, “One for the Money: Elvis Presley Paid a High Price for
His Fame,”
Washington Post,
January 24, 1997.

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“every effort to honor [Elvis’s] name”:
“Elvis’s Manager Promises Defense of Fraud Charges,”
Nashville Banner,
August 17, 1981.

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“but also are unfair and insulting”:
“Col. Tom Parker Denies He Ever Cheated Elvis,”
Tennessean,
August 16,
1981.

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“Elvis knew that I provided services”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted in
People,
August 31, 1981.

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“nervous energy”:
“Parker Calls Elvis Headstrong Client,”
Memphis Press-Scimitar,
September 9, 1981.

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“moody” and “headstrong”:
Quotations in this and the next two paragraphs from “Parker Calls Elvis Headstrong
Client.”

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“weren’t selling”:
“Parker Calls Elvis Headstrong Client.”

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“really pushed”:
“Parker Says Elvis Accusations ‘Insulting,’ ”
Nashville Banner,
August 31,
1981.

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“Elvis’s decisions in 1973 were correct”:
“Parker Says Elvis Accusations ‘Insulting,’ ”
Nashville Banner,
August 31, 1981.

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“I never saw anything to indicate it was a partnership”:
Blanchard E. Tual to author, 1998.

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“I am advised by my attorneys”:
Affidavit of Thomas A. Parker, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York.

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“Yes, I am a man without a country”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted in
Variety,
June 24, 1983.

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“I did not receive more than Elvis did”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted in Baird, - “Couldn’t Have Saved
Elvis.”

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“We figured the Colonel might die”:
Blanchard E. Tual to Constant Meijers, raw interview transcript from the documentary
Looking for Colonel Parker,
1999.

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“if Elvis had lived”:
Blanchard E. Tual quoted in Soocher,
They Fought the Law
.

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“Bitsy, if I was doing something wrong”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted by Bitsy Mott to Dirk Vellenga, raw interview transcript,
1983.

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“A couple of weeks after we opened Graceland”:
Jack Soden quoted in Soocher,
They Fought the
Law
.

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sales of all things Elvis:
Baird, “Graceland Earns Millions for Heir,” citing
Forbes
.

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“I didn’t hear from them”:
Colonel Tom Parker to Ralph Emery, raw interview transcript, 1993.

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the Colonel’s $30-million tab: People,
March 5, 1984.

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“I’ve had offers”:
Colonel Tom Parker to Ralph Emery, raw interview transcripts, 1993.

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“Any time the Colonel came into view”:
Bill Willard to author, 1998.

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“chronic brain syndrome”:
Marie Parker, certificate of death, November 25, 1986.

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“To me, that’s not a real tribute”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted by Pat Embry, “The Colonel: In a Rare Interview,
Elvis’ Promoter More Teddy Bear Than All Shook Up,”
Nashville Banner,
June 12, 1987.

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a black-hearted villain:
A 1994 article in the San Diego
Union-Tribune
noted that Elvis purists view Parker as “the devil who
traded the singer’s rock ’n’ roll soul for the demon Hollywood dollar.”

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“He wanted me to come to New York”:
Colonel Tom Parker to author, 1993.

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“If they know so much”:
Colonel Tom Parker to Ted Koppel,
Nightline,
August 16, 1987.

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“I’ll never manage anyone again”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted by Ed Koch, “Where Do You Go After Elvis? Parker
Won’t Manage Again,”
Las Vegas Sun,
August 15, 1987.

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“We may have had dinner”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted in
Las Vegas Sun,
August 11, 1987.

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“We’re here to honor his memory”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted in Las Vegas
Review-Journal,
January 22, 1997.

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estrangement from the estate weighed heavily:
“He never recovered.” Gordon Stoker to Constant Meijers, raw interview transcript
from the documentary
Looking for Colonel Parker,
1999.

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“He thought”:
Joan Shoofey Richardson to Art Nadler for author, 1997.

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“None of ’em are memories for me”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted in
Nashville Banner,
June 12, 1987.

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“Well, it’s been too long”:
Colonel Tom Parker, private videotape recording of press conference, January 8, 1988.

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“I don’t think there was any producer”:
Colonel Tom Parker on private audiotape recording of Elvis Presley Birthday
Banquet, Memphis, January 8, 1988.

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“I think”:
Jack Soden quoted in Soocher,
They Fought the Law
.

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“special hello to an old friend of ours”:
Priscilla Presley on private audiotape recording of Elvis Presley Birthday Banquet,
Memphis, January 8, 1988.

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“shared an abiding friendship”:
Jack Soden quoted in
Memphis Commercial-Appeal,
December 25, 1993.

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“As I recall”:
Chet Flippo in e-mail to author, 1998.

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“They window-dressed it pretty nicely”:
Joe Delaney to author, 1997.

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“He wouldn’t answer certain questions”:
Merilyn Potters in e-mail to author, 1997.

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“I think the Colonel was sharp enough”:
Joe Delaney to author, 1997.

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“Loanne hoarded money”:
Jackie Kahane to Peter Whitmer, raw interview transcript, 1994.

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“He said, ‘Without her, I wouldn’t be living”:
Author’s anonymous source, 1997.

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“When his sister walked into that room”:
Lamar Fike to author, 2001.

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“The Colonel said he doesn’t wish”:
Loanne Miller Parker to Mieke Dons-Maas, 1990, quoted to author, 1997.

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“I suppose he just wanted”:
Mieke Dons-Maas to author, 1997.

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“spoke with great love and affection”:
Loanne Miller Parker to Constant Meijers, raw interview transcript from the documentary
Looking for Colonel Parker,
1999.

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“He talked a little bit of Dutch to me”:
Constant Meijers to author, 1997.

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“He continued to gamble until the day he died”:
Nick Naff to Art Nadler for author, 1997.

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“Now, when they’ve done all they could with [Elvis]”:
Colonel Tom Parker to Craig Rivera,
Inside Edition,
January
1993.

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“Every once in a while”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted in Mike Weatherford, “Colonel Recalls King,” Las Vegas
Review-Journal,
January 8, 1995.

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“It’s hard to convince people”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted in Woody Baird, “Col. Tom Speaks Out on Elvis’
Drugs, Rock ’n’ Roll,” Associated Press, December 7, 1990.

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“Do you miss him?”:
Chris Hutchins conversation with Colonel Tom Parker quoted in
The People,
January 25, 1997.

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“I’ve turned down more books for big money”:
Colonel Tom Parker to Craig Rivera,
Inside Edition,
January 1993.
See also
The People,
January 25, 1997.

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“seemed designed more to intimidate a number”:
Michael Gray, “25 Percent of the King,”
Guardian,
January
23, 1997.

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“I got the book right up here”:
Colonel Tom Parker to author, 1994.

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“I don’t know if a guy should put out a book”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted in Embry, “The Colonel.”

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“if I were to expire before completing it”: The People,
January 25, 1997.

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“He freezes”:
Loanne Miller Parker to author, 1994.

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“I teased him about it a couple of times”:
Bill Willard to author, 1998.

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“I’ve got plenty to do”:
Colonel Tom Parker to Ralph Emery, raw interview transcript, 1993.

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“People take up exercise, you know”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted in Embry, “The Colonel.”

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“Eddy [Arnold] calls me”:
Colonel Tom Parker to Ralph Emery, raw interview transcript, 1993.

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“He was a lonely old man”:
Author’s anonymous source, 1997.

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“very nice”:
Tony Brown quoted in Rob Tannenbaum, “Rock and Roll to Colonel Tom: Tom Parker, 1909–1997,”
Village Voice,
February 4, 1997.

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“like a king would banish you from the court”:
Lamar Fike to author, 2001.

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“warned them about what to say”:
Peter Whitmer in e-mail to author, 2001.

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“shouting very loudly”:
Chris Hutchins to author, 1998.

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“I’m healthy up in my mind”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted in Weathersford, “Colonel Recalls King.”

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“exploited Elvis as much as he’s being exploited today”:
Colonel Tom Parker to Craig Rivera,
Inside Edition,
January 1993.

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“I’m still working for you, Elvis”:
Colonel Tom Parker quoted in James Kingsley, “Col. Parker Honored in
Nevada,”
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
June 27, 1994.

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“he knew he was dyin’ ”:
Gabe Tucker to author, 1997.

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“He said Elvis was as hard a worker”:
Jimmie Dale Gilmore quoted in Tannenbaum, “Rock and Roll to
Colonel Tom.”

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“In the last years”:
Freddy Bienstock to author, 1997.

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“Loanne had to talk for him”:
Author’s anonymous source, 1997.

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“He was my mentor, my teacher”:
Jerry Weintraub quoted in Michael Fleming, “Weintraub, Shelton Team,”
Variety,
December 2, 1997.

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“He told me he loved me”:
Jerry Weintraub at Colonel Tom Parker’s Memorial Service, Las Vegas, January 25, 1997.

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“Colonel, it’s Bruce”:
Bruce Banke to Karen Schoemer, raw interview transcript, 1997.

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$913,000 in savings bonds, securities, and memorabilia:
Petition for probate of will and codicils and for letters testamentary for the
estate of Tom Parker, Las Vegas, February 5, 1997.