Entertainment
Elvis and the Colonel – CBS News
Author Peter Guralnick wrote the definitive two-volume biography of the King: “Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley” (1994), and “Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley” (2000). And now, his latest is about Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’ legendary manager. Asked if he found anything surprising, Guralnick replied, “It totally surprised me.”
“The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership that Rocked the World” (Little, Brown & Co.) is the story of a partnership that rocked popular culture, and how Parker’s marketing savvy and enduring loyalty helped the King get his crown.
Little, Brown & Co.
Guralnick says Parker did not create the template for being the manager of a musician: “It wasn’t original to him, it wasn’t brand new. But he carried it, I think, to a far greater extent than anyone had before.”
In 1955, the 20-year-old Presley was playing the Louisiana Hayride when Parker first caught his act. “It took no more than a few days after seeing him for the first time that he booked Elvis when nobody else was willing to book him,” Guralnick said.
Parker, who was then handling Hank Snow, quickly put Elvis in the show.
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Elvis would sell more than 12 million records in 1956. The Colonel negotiated his recording contract, his movie deal, and oversaw all his marketing. As he would write, “I don’t [just] sit here and smoke cigars hoping for something to happen.”
Guralnick said, “There is so much love in some of his early letters to Elvis. And in one he says, you know, ‘You are just like me. You are sensitive, you’re easily hurt. But only those we love can hurt us.'”
Presley would write back, “I love you like a father.”
Colonel Tom Parker wasn’t actually a colonel; he also wasn’t American. In fact, Andreas van Kuijk was a stowaway from Holland, who arrived in the U.S. in 1926, barely speaking English. The 16-year-old soon invented an origin story. “Once he declared himself to be Tom Parker, born in West Virginia, his identity was never questioned for over 50 years,” said Guralnick. “The only person who may have known it was Elvis Presley.”
The honorary title “Colonel” would be bestowed on him by Louisiana’s Governor. It became his first name. “That was how he signed all of his letters,” said Guralnick.
Graceland Archives
Before Presley, Parker made a star out of Eddy Arnold, booking him as the first “hillbilly act” in Vegas.
Actor George Hamilton, who befriended the Colonel in his early days in Hollywood, said, “He had all the smarts of a con man, but he wasn’t. He knew how to make the other person want whatever he was selling.”
Asked why Parker was so driven, Hamilton replied, “Emotional stuff from his childhood. I feel like he had some horrible damage done. He didn’t like his father.”
Parker would become notorious for taking a 50% cut of some of Presley’s later deals. “Now, I sat with him one day and I said, ‘Is it right to get half of everything?'” Hamilton recalled. “And he said, ‘Well, you know, 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing.’ And I said, ‘Well, you mean your half, or his?’ He said, ‘Well, if I didn’t have my half, he wouldn’t have his!’ And I got it. I got it.”
The Colonel offered Hamilton an opportunity in Vegas: “He said, ‘And by the way, Elvis has gotta take two weeks off at the Hilton. And I booked you in.’ I said, ‘I can’t do that show. That doesn’t make any sense, Colonel.’ He said, ‘George, you want $50,000 a week?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘It’s two weeks. For that, you can do anything, can’t you?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir!'”
In 1973, after Presley bad-mouthed hotel owner Conrad Hilton on stage in Vegas, Parker confronted him backstage. “Essentially, Elvis and Colonel fired each other,” said Guralnick.
The split didn’t last long. “Neither Colonel nor Elvis could imagine a world without the other,” said Guralnick. “They simply didn’t have the ability to walk away.”
But Parker began to worry about the “instability of [his] artist.”
Asked how he reacted to Presley’s increasing drug use, Guralnick replied, “I think he was at a loss. I think there was an element of denial. But he was well aware of what was going on. Nobody could miss what was going on.”
In Vegas, Colonel developed his own addiction. George Hamilton saw it firsthand: “He used to get me to go gambling with him. God! He would go all-in on, like, I mean, big money. I saw close to a million dollars lost at a table.”
Guralnick said, “They were caught in a trap – as Elvis sang! I mean, neither one of them could confront the other one with his problem.”
According to the author, the two were locked in a relationship of mutual denial – the twin tragedies of their story. And when Elvis died in 1977, the Colonel, according to Guralnick, “went into shock.”
“I’ll never stop trying to keep nis name alive,” Parker said. He would die in 1997.
CBS News
While Guralnick was doing research at Elvis’ Memphis mansion Graceland, in what was once the office of Elvis’ father, Vernon Presley, he was told the office telephone was disconnected: “So, one night we were working quite late, and it was 10 o’clock at night. And all of a sudden, the phone rang. And so you know, you’ll have to tell me: Was this Elvis? Was this Vernon? Maybe it was Colonel.
“We stared at it. Should we answer? Should we not answer? Who knows what would happen if we answered? But we did not answer. We just listened to it ring, until it finally stopped ringing!”
“You wanted the idea that there was one of those three on the other end of the line?” I asked.
“Well, you want to preserve the mystery!”
READ AN EXCERPT: “The Colonel and the King” by Peter Guralnick
For more info:
Story produced by Jon Carras. Editor: Remington Korper.
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Entertainment
Netflix renews ‘Love on the Spectrum’ for season 5
Netflix has officially renewed Love on the Spectrum for a fifth season, extending the journey of one of its most celebrated reality series.
The announcement came just days after season 4 premiered to strong reception, reflecting the show’s enduring appeal and cultural impact.
Created by Karina Holden and Cian O’Clery of Northern Pictures, the series has become a global phenomenon since its U.S. debut in 2022, following the original Australian version launched in 2019.
With seven Primetime Emmy Awards to its name including Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program in 2022 and 2025, Love on the Spectrum has carved out a unique space in reality television.
It offers a heartfelt and authentic look at people on the autism spectrum navigating dating and relationships.
Season 4 featured Connor Tomlinson, Dylan Aguilar, Emma Sue Miller, Georgie Harris, James B. Jones, Logan Pereira, Madison Marilla, Shelley Wolfee and Tyler White, whose personal journeys resonated deeply with viewers.
Their stories helped secure the renewal, ensuring that season 5 will continue to explore new paths to love and connection.
The renewal signals Netflix’s confidence in the franchise, which has grown from its Australian roots into a global touchstone.
With season 5 now on the horizon, the series promises to deliver more emotional storytelling and genuine representation, keeping audiences invested in the lives of its cast while reinforcing its reputation as one of the streamer’s most heartfelt reality hits.
Entertainment
An enduring legacy
Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto defied the suffocating politics of his time, nurturing a new consciousness rooted in human rights, dignity, equality and justice. Rejecting absolutism, he sought to transform politics into public service. As we mark his death anniversary, we reflect not only on a remarkable leader but on the enduring imprint he left on Pakistan’s identity and democratic imagination.
Long after his passing, his light refuses to dim, his voice refuses to fade and his vision of an inclusive, just, united, prosperous, strong and dignified Pakistan continues to guide our great nation. I take pride that my own political journey was shaped and inspired by the ideology and ideas of Quaid-e-Awam. His conviction that power belonged to the people has been a guiding light for me through every office I have held. Today, as I preside over the Senate, I see his vision embodied in the constitution he gave us and in the institution he conceived to protect our federation.
Shaheed Bhutto’s journey to leadership was shaped early by the towering figure of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. At just seventeen, he wrote to the Quaid, declaring that he would one day sacrifice his life for Pakistan. And true to his word, he sacrificed his life for Pakistan exactly thirty-four years later in April 1979. Jinnah wrote back, advising him to study politics thoroughly but not neglect his education. That exchange marked the beginning of a relationship that would define Bhutto’s political philosophy. He carried Jinnah’s memory with him throughout his life.
Boasting an illustrious academic career at Berkeley and Oxford, where he completed a demanding law degree in just two years, Bhutto returned to Pakistan. He soon represented the country at the United Nations, and by 1958, at the age of 30, he became the youngest cabinet member in Pakistan’s history.
His diplomatic skills were evident early. When he met US president John F Kennedy in the White House in 1963, Kennedy remarked that if Bhutto were American, he would be in his cabinet. Bhutto’s response was characteristically sharp: “Be careful, Mr President, if I were American, I would be in your place”.
Razor-sharp wit, a formidable intellect and an unshakeable commitment to Pakistan’s sovereignty made him a towering figure on the world stage. As foreign minister, he brought balance to Pakistan’s foreign policy, forging closer ties with China and advocating for an independent course that served the nation’s interests. He supported China’s entry into the UN, a bold move that laid the foundation for the “higher than the Himalayas and deeper than the oceans” relationship that continues to benefit Pakistan today.
However, the true greatness of Shaheed Bhutto emerged like a phoenix from the very ashes of the 1971 war. Those were troubled times. Pakistan was a shattered nation. Half the country had been lost and five thousand square miles of territory was under occupation. The world had written us off. Yet within months, through sheer diplomatic acumen, Bhutto secured the release of our prisoners and the return of our land through the Simla Agreement. He had prepared meticulously, consulting opposition leaders, military commanders, and visiting fourteen Muslim countries to secure their support before entering negotiations with Indira Gandhi.
And, unquestionably, perhaps, his greatest gift to the nation and the country was the 1973 Constitution. Before Bhutto, Pakistan had never enjoyed a democratic constitution framed by the will of its people. He gave us a constitution that declared sovereignty belongs to Allah Almighty, but the people of Pakistan are its trustees. He created the Senate to ensure that every province, large or small, would have an equal voice.
Equally transformative and highly seminal were his domestic reforms. Within three months of taking office, he announced land reforms, distributing over 800,000 acres to landless peasants. He established Pakistan Steel Mills, built Port Qasim and laid the foundation for Quaid-i-Azam University. His government prioritised labour welfare and expanded educational access, making education free up to matriculation. These policies were part of a coherent vision encapsulated in his slogan Roti, Kapra aur Makan.
Years later, that commitment found its most powerful expression in the Benazir Income Support Programme, which I had the honour to launch as Prime Minister. Today, BISP is recognised globally as one of the most effective social safety nets, empowering women and lifting millions from poverty.
Shaheed Bhutto always had his fingers on the pulse of the masses. He understood the geopolitical and strategic alchemy that tied Pakistan’s destiny to the Muslim world. In February 1974, he hosted the Islamic Summit in Lahore, bringing together leaders from thirty-eight Muslim nations. King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Anwar Sadat of Egypt, Colonel Qaddafi of Libya, and Yasser Arafat were among the distinguished guests.
Equally unwavering was his commitment to Pakistan’s defence. He had famously declared that Pakistan would “eat grass” if necessary to acquire nuclear capability. As prime minister, he initiated the nuclear programme. That programme, completed after his martyrdom, has ensured Pakistan’s security for all time.
And then darkness descended when his democratically elected government was overthrown in July 1977. What followed was a judicial process that the world recognised as a travesty and, ultimately, a ‘judicial murder’. Despite international appeals from leaders across the globe, he was sent to the gallows on April 4, 1979. His daughter Benazir’s account of their final meeting, with iron bars separating father from daughter, remains one of the most poignant passages in Pakistan’s history.
The Bhutto family paid an extraordinary price – the Quaid-e-Awam, his sons Shahnawaz and Murtaza, and his beloved daughter and the first female prime minister of the Muslim world and Pakistan Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, all gave their lives for the cause of the people. Today, President Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari carry this legacy forward with unwavering dedication.
Through my political and parliamentary journey, I have endeavoured to honour that vision. The 18th Amendment, passed during my tenure as prime minister, was a historic step towards realising Bhutto’s dream of provincial autonomy.
Shaheed Bhutto once said, “We are not merely the heirs of a party, we are the custodians of a vision”. That vision was of a Pakistan where the poor are not forgotten, where the provinces are not silenced, where democracy is not a slogan but a way of life.
As we remember him today, let us renew our commitment to that vision. His light continues to guide us. May his soul rest in eternal peace. May his vision continue to inspire generations.
The writer is the chairman of the Senate of Pakistan.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed in this piece are the writer’s own and don’t necessarily reflect Geo.tv’s editorial policy.
Originally published in The News
Entertainment
See Shiloh Jolie debut in K-Pop music video
Shiloh Jolie has made her music video debut, and the internet has ground to a halt, not just because of the appearance itself, but because of just how strikingly she resembles her mother, Angelina Jolie.
The 19-year-old dancer appears in the teaser for K-Pop singer Dayoung’s new single What’s a Girl to Do, due for release on 7 April.
The clip began circulating on social media on Friday, and fans were quick to clock the resemblance when Shiloh appeared later in the trailer.
The reaction was immediate.
“Look at Shiloh, man. Crazy to see Angie’s kids follow in her footsteps,” one X user wrote. “Literally looks exactly like her momma oh my god,” posted another.
A third simply declared: “Holy sh*t, mamma’s good genes are sooooo strong.”
It is not yet clear whether Shiloh will appear in an acting capacity, as one of Dayoung’s dancers, or both.
The Jolie family resemblance is not a new talking point.
Last April, Shiloh was widely noted for appearing to channel her mother’s iconic Lara Croft look from Tomb Raider with a similar hairstyle.
Friday’s teaser has taken those comparisons to a whole new level.
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