Long before Colonel Tom Parker met Elvis Presley and became the polarizing figure he is known as today, he had already lived a dozen lives, traveling the carnival circuit and serving in the army. The Dutch native had even managed a handful of careers before his nickname "The Colonel" stuck. But to the late Greg McDonald, Parker was a man who understood better than anyone how to turn a star into a lasting phenomenon.
To many, Parker was calculating. To McDonald, he was deliberate. Every decision, every contract, every tour date served a purpose. He believed that if Elvis was to become more than a singer, every move had to matter. The Colonel carried that belief quietly, often without praise or thanks, but it was his design that helped Elvis transcend his own fame.
By the end of his life, the name Colonel Tom Parker carried its own mythology. McDonald thought that was fitting. Parker had spent a lifetime creating illusions that felt real, and in the process, he had become one himself.
Here's Greg in one of the last exclusive interviews he granted concerning his life with Elvis and the Colonel.
Click the play button below to listen to the full story.