Elvis: Thank you, thank you very much!

By Bob Ford Special to

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They say the greatest compliment given is imitation. Elvis had numerous entertainers paying him that tribute. Several had nice levels of success, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Neil Diamond and many more saw the blueprint to stardom.

In most cases, you don’t want to be the one who immediately follows a legend, you want to be the one who follows the guy that follows the legend. Think of George Selkirk who replaced Babe Ruth, Andrew Johnson taking over for Abe Lincoln, whoever is replacing Nick Saban or my girlfriend’s next boyfriend, they all had/have big non-suede shoes to fill.

Elvis Presley’s manager Col. Tom Parker wasn’t a colonel or an American for that matter. He was Dutch.

“For the first half of Elvis’ career the Colonel was exactly what Elvis needed,’’ says Roy Turner, director of the Elvis Presley Birthplace Museum in Tupelo, Mississippi. “But in the second half by the time Elvis had found success, the Colonel and his ruthless controlling ways was the last thing needed.”

Roy talked about Elvis’ Southern manners and upbringing as a reason why he stuck with the Colonel throughout his career.

“You didn’t disrespect your elders or the person who brought you to the dance, allegiance was owed,” Turner said. “The Colonel controlled every aspect of Elvis’ business, manipulating “The King,” into films and ventures that actually hurt his career.

His “boy meets girl and sings through any problem they have” movies were popular and profitable to a point, but Elvis wanted more. He dreamed of being a serious actor. In Elvis’ first movie, “Love Me Tender,” the LA Times wrote, “the boy can act, even when he’s not singing.”

Perhaps Elvis’ best performance was in King Creole, directed by Hollywood heavyweight Michael Curtiz, director of “Casablanca,” “Mildred Pierce,” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”

Producers saw the acting talent and kept offering him star-making roles: Brick in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Hayden in the “Godfather”, prime parts in “Midnight Cowboy,” “Westside Story,” and “In Harm’s Way.” But the Colonel would have none of it. He wouldn’t even allow Elvis to perform overseas throughout his career due to so-called “security concerns.”

At the time it must have been frustrating for Elvis, but as life moved forward both men had personal demons that took their toll.

Elvis finally convinced the Colonel to let him do a special TV concert “1968, Comeback Special,” where for the first time in seven years he would move away from his B movies and perform live on television. It rejuvenated his singing career with 42% of all homes in the U.S. watching.

Roy Turner continued, “The die was cast at that point in his career, Elvis couldn’t fire Parker … both of them were in too deep to start over.”

Elvis died in 1977, leaving fans and the music industry in shock and disarray.

By circumstance, Elvis passed when I was in Yugoslavia. The local Slavic paper proclaimed his death with a bold English headline. He was known and admired throughout the world, especially by fellow musicians and young and now not so young girls.

As people and fans worked through losing the King, it should be noted that some of the best paying gigs for music legends come after they passed. Michael Jackson — married at one time to Elvis’ daughter — Elvis himself, Prince, Whitney Houston and other performer’s estates make millions annually from what the entertainer’s accomplished in life.

Elvis famously split his earnings with Colonel Parker, after his death the Colonel’s dominance continued. Graceland and Elvis memorabilia was the Colonel’s new cash cow. Collectibles went from toothbrushes to motorcycles. To this day millions are still generated … and the fans keep coming.

Since 1982, nearly 40 million people have visited Graceland and paid anywhere from $50 to $250 for the pleasure. The Colonel himself passed in 1997, sparking several infamous court cases to decide who benefits from the continuing flow of cash.

Through years of hearings and especially after Lisa Marie’s death, it was decided his granddaughter Riley Keough would be the lucky sweepstakes winner.

Elvis Presley was an instrument of change. His music altered music. He merged country music with rhythm and blues, becoming a pillar in forming rock and roll. To this day, fans flock and musicians pay homage to the talented humble man from Tupelo.

Well, that’s it, because “Elvis, has left the building!”