colonel tom parker interviewis camille winbush related to angela winbush

And the movies I mean, naturally I liked Jailhouse Rock, but I dont think it was a great movie. I think it was presented to the guys who run Leiber and Stoller stuff, and they had already done it and were gonna put it in the movie. Anything else to say about the Parker characterization? The Elvis Presley manager did a lot of controversial things during his time in show business, and the Baz Luhrmann movie reveals just how much of a monster he really was. But living in a colored neighborhood, as he did, he certainly heard early R&B, jump-blues and swing tunes pulsating through the walls at the nearby juke joints, and he loved it, as he did both Black and white gospel. Finally, we got on the ship to sail back into New York, and we almost made it before our ship collided with a Swedish ship and sank. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. And I called, I think, Jack Viertel, because we had been working on a totally different kind of project a ballet musical which never got finished and I said, Listen, I dont like it. I'll tell you specifically. Colonel Parker is seen as under pressure from secretive governmental forces who want to keep Elvis from corrupting youth and to try to get him to tamp down Presley, they threaten to expose. He also says in the film that if he could find an act that gave the audience feelings they werent sure they should enjoy, but did, he could create the greatest show on earth. But first we had to pass muster with the Colonel, so we were invited to dinner by the music publishers Jean and Julian Aberbach, who also were tied in with the Colonel; they had started with Eddie Arnold, too, and met through that business relationship. You seem right.' Elvis made a chilling cry for help just months before his death The Colonel, who was neither a colonel nor named Tom Parker, was born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk in the Netherlands and came to the U.S. without documentation at the age of 20. Tom Hanks is playing Elvis Presley manager "Colonel Tom" Parker in the upcoming Baz Luhrmann film, and to get a better idea of the infamous character, the actor had dinner with Priscilla. Known for his keen promotion and merchandising savvy, Parker, or "the Snowman," would help to make Elvis a household name, putting the singer on everything from lunch boxes to board games to trading cards and beyond. That potential is what interests him. Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. I love your work so much. And then I said, Well, we did also a few songs that we didnt write. They finally decided that we were producers. The article in question appeared inVarietyon January 15, 1964. And then they asked us to write for a movie that became Loving You, when it was renamed after the song that we wrote. All Rights Reserved. Luhrmann hasnt really given him his due by a long shot. "The blues singers that we knew, Elvis knew them also," says Stoller. The first three days of the movies are chaos. Yes, it was manager Colonel Tom Parker who had his reasons for finally cutting Leiber and Stoller out of Presley's creative camp after 1963, none of them good. Oh, sure. Elvis is famously quoted as saying, Down in Tupelo, Miss., I used to hear old Arthur Crudup bang his box the way I do now and I said, if I ever got to the place I could feel all old Arthur felt, Id be a music man like nobody saw. But its unclear whether this was on the radio or in person. But he also found rare footage of interviews Parker gave, which is how he hit on the accent that is so decidedly un-Hanks-like. He is passionate about film, comics, TV and spends way too much on collectibles. To play additional iconic musical artists in the film, Luhrmann cast singer/songwriter Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, model Alton Mason as Little Richard, Gary Clark Jr. as Arthur Crudup, and artist Shonka Dukureh as Willie Mae Big Mama Thornton. Luhrmann describes another story in the aftermath of Presley's death where the Colonel immediately called RCA and instructed them to produce more records, knowing demand would skyrocket. I told him that if were doing so badly maybe next year he wouldnt want us at all, said the Colonel, and we better get all we can while we can and I hiked the price. Why AI Has Some Viewers Asking Which Film Actors Are Real. And if it's on day 46 of a 68-day shooting schedule, there is a piece of you that is preparing for day 46 every day from one through 45. The one where EW follows up with the cast. Leiber died in 2011 but, creeping up on 90, Stoller remains active still showing up to collect the few accolades he hasnt already received, like the Icon award BMI bestowed upon him at its annual ceremony in May, and also working on a stage musical he doesnt want to say much about at the moment. Elvis, especially, thought that it might even be over by the time he got out. ", "If Shakespeare was looking to take on a historical character now, you couldn't go past the idea of the Colonel and Elvis," Luhrmann adds. nothing., According to Parker, production costs for the average Presley film ran between $1.5 and $2 million, and if the studio lets it maybe a little more., The Colonel didnt seem too concerned that Elvis film popularity would dry up someday. Elvis kind of liked Jimmie. Near the end of his life, Parker is said to have been speaking with two promoters about this, since Elvis was so deeply unhappy about never getting to go tour Europe, but it never happened. Yes and no. He was a wonderful man, and I wish he was alive today. . "And I told Baz, 'But you're describing Falstaff and Hal,' and Baz said, 'Exactly, except with millions of dollars thrown into it. Didnt he ask to become the manager of Leiber and Stoller, too and, as the story goes, he presented you with a completely blank contract? HANKS: It's a beast, but you are aware of when that scene is coming. The new Elvis film is not based on her book, nor did Luhrmann read it, by his account (although he says researchers presented him with notes from that and many other key Presley-related books). It had a line for our signatures. On top of that, Parker found venue upon venue for Elvis to perform in, be it recording studios, Hollywood films, TV specials, and even satellite broadcasts, immersing the artist into the cultural zeitgeist while keeping him landlocked in North America. And, yeah, she was very difficult to work with, and very wonderful. [Laughs.] The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. Remembering Loanne Parker - Graceland Yeah, where the different voices was kind of commedia dellarte. And you just, you always think about it. And when you first buy it, you love listening to it. It was never told to him. He didn't care what Elvis (Austin Butler) sang from the. But if you have gotten over the fear of making the movie in the first place, which you do I think in the first three days of the movie. We found that a lot of the blues singers that we knew, he knew them also, which was a surprise to us. The music publishers for Elvis were there. I must say, Jean Aberbach was instrumental in us doing that, just by saying, Youre not leaving till I have them., Something else you wrote on the fly, on demand, that has endured well for 65 years: Santa Claus Is Back in Town., Yeah, we did that in a hurry, also. I mean, Big Mamas song was a woman singing it to a no-good guy, and the original lyric in the first verse was, You can wag your tail, but I aint gonna feed you no more. And the Presley version almost sounds like hes singing it to a dog: You aint never caught a rabbit, and you aint no friend of mine. I dont know where that came from. Stand by Me is never going away. Elvis movie: Tom Hanks' 'thrilling' take on Colonel Tom Parker teased So we hit it off and we had a great relationship. Did Parker talk of things in carnival or carnie or conman terms as much as he does in this movie? Baz Luhrmann Talks 'Elvis' With Maureen Dowd - The New York Times Check the list of the 10 top box office stars Elvis is right there. Presley had other ways of making money that they could fall back on. While director Baz Luhrmann's take on the complex dynamic between Elvis and the Colonel goes far behind the black-and-white shades of good and evil, what makes it even more compelling is that the grotesque figure of Tom Parker is played by, arguably, the most beloved actor of the last 40 years, Tom Hanks. One was a 1956 radio interview that basically contains Parker's master plan for Presley's career. He claimed that at least 50% of his share went right back into the business of promoting Elvis office expenses, advertising and exploitation, etc. Elvis cut, said Parker, goes straight to the Memphis accountants., "Look you got a product, you sell it. When other songs from the catalog show up in contemporary usage out of nowhere, it must be beyond surprising you. Colonel Tom Parker managed Elvis Presley 's career from 1955 to 1977, overseeing almost every aspect of the star's life. Hanks has gone dark before during his legendary and long career, but by and large, he's Forrest Gump, Joe Fox, Captain Miller, Chuck Noland, and of course, Woody the toy cowboy. I hope its a big hit. Teenage Elvis, living in Memphis, certainly went to West Memphis, Arkansas and to Beale Street to hear Black performers. In the meantime, Colonel Parker had nixed all offers for Elvis to appear on stage, as he had for Presley to appear on TV. Then we didnt see her at all for the next five or six years until she was presented with a demo that we had done of Is That All There Is? She said the song was written for her, that it was based on her life which it wasnt, but she said it was her life story. "The Colonel is like Falstaff with a chainsaw. Those guys complaining some of them are not working too good. And then I guess it, obviously, became something else. And I went, 'I bet Tom Hanks would be into a playing a dark note on his instrument that no one could see coming. That was amazing because you still see the twinkle in his eyes. The single record was done with the Jordanaires and with D.J. It certainly was a big question mark then as to whether people would accept a jukebox musical that had no book at all. Yeah, thats true. COLONEL TOM PARKER - Interview on "ABC Nightline" (Aug 15, 1987 I dont like the story. Is it true, as portrayed, that Parker was consistently trying to pressure Elvis to tone down his sex appeal? Colonel Parker Answered Criticism . So when they call you and tell you Eminem wants to incorporate a song of yours into his, do you just say sure, or ask to hear it? Here's why Colonel Tom Parker is so controversial. So its a perfect chance to catch up with Stoller,who wrote the music to Jerry Leibers lyrics on two dozen Presley songs, including the classics Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, Trouble, Treat Me Nice, Love Me, Loving You, Santa Claus Is Back in Town, Bossa Nova Baby and (Youre So Square) Baby I Dont Care. No other writers are so closely associated with the King, even if their run of collaborations with Elvis was ultimately cut short by want to hazard a guess? The actor has proven time and again that he's up to the challenge of playing a real-world personality and the role of Elvis and the Colonel is no different. This is Luhrmann showing us Elviss influences. He took really great care of us. Me Im happy being able to buy the groceries., As for the reports of declining returns on Elvis movies, Parker didnt believe them. Is there a song you wrote for Elvis youre proud of that doesnt get as much attention? Colonel Parker is seen as under pressure from secretive governmental forces who want to keep Elvis from corrupting youth and to try to get him to tamp down Presley, they threaten toexpose his past, as a non-American native of Holland, which hes desperate to hide. Butler is superb in the role and actually sings Presleys early songs in the film. The Beatles and the Stones both covered your songs (Kansas City and Poison Ivy, respectively). Elvis and the Colonel were associated throughout the musician's entire career, including music, movies, and TV specials. Tom Hank's Col Tom Parker accent : r/Elvis - Reddit Are you kidding? That's the thought that he had. There were concert riots, most notably in Jacksonville, Fla., but not a concert for which Parker issued orders like that. In addition, he revealed his dream project, which would be about Dean Reed, who was an American actor and singer that decided to become a communist behind the Iron Curtain. Born in the Netherlands, Parker entered the United States illegally when he was 20 years old. Elviss first manager, Bob Neal, told me that he had a heck of a time getting stations to play Elviss first single. Before production began, he read music critic Peter Guralnick's two books about the rise and fall of Elvis, 1994's Last Train to Memphis and 1999's Careless Love. He didnt care what color he was. Colonel Tom Parker Biographer Says Tom Hanks' Elvis Movie Accent Isn't That was fine we took foreign nationals but he just had to swear hed become a U.S. citizen, which he never did, because he went AWOL. They call it The King and I, which is a good title. Formerly the Editor-in-Chief of JoBlo.com, he has over a decade of writing and reporting about the entertainment industry and has covered everything from Comic Con to CinemaCon to Star Wars Celebration, as well as covering numerous set visits and junkets all over the world. Offers may be subject to change without notice. I ended up being the piano player on screen in the movie Jailhouse Rock. And so (on-set) Elvis asked me, Write me a real pretty ballad. That was on a Friday. Colonel Parker called himself "the Snowman" because he loved snowing, or fooling, people. Still, Elvis is right on enough counts literally or spiritually that its worth trying to separate fact from fiction in the movies narrative of Elvis Presley (played by Austin Butler) and his nearly career-long manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). Steven Weintraub launched Collider in the summer of 2005. He mentions that church in the film. In their rush to denounce him for failing his client in later years, many Elvis fans forget that there may not have been an Elvis Presley were it not for Tom Parkers work in those early days. And I have asked people from Russia and Poland and said, "Are you familiar with the American singer, actor by the name of Dean Reed?" Only then did the Presley-Parker partnership make a triumphant return to television and, soon after that, to the concert stage. But Gladys was a big Grand Ole Opry fan, and it was in part the Colonels introducing her to Hank Snow that got her to let her boy go with the Colonel. Theres a story behind you two trying to cajole Thornton into singing it a certain way, which she didnt take kindly to it at first? 2023 Billboard Media, LLC. Then after that, you just have to have this faith in your own individual process and the power of the script. Anyway, what do I know about production? Smokey Joes Caf, a revue using 39 of your songs, ran for 2,036 performances on Broadway starting in 1995. "But he had no other client than Elvis Presley, and he lacked the imagination to see just how truly a greater social force Elvis could have been.". Tom Hanks has built a reputation for disappearing into his roles. King used to visit some in Las Vegas, but that was in the 70s. But before that he did have another big hit with a cover of one of your tunes, the ballad Love Me. Although Elvis sang it more seriously, It was surprising to read in your memoir that you had originally written Love Me as a country parody song a spoof of a subservient hillbilly who doesnt put up any objections to his lover treating him like garbage. She growled it both times. In 1958, Parker encouraged Elvis to voluntarily enlist in the Army (part of Elvis' true story) after he received a draft notice and serve a two-year stint as a regular soldier, showing the world that he was just like any average American.

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