A. C. van Kuijk wrote: August 30th, 2025, 10:54 am
The contracts were signed by Elvis. Thererfore he was responsible. Believe it or not: It was Elvis, and only Elvis, who fucked it up!
The problem with this statement is it removes Parker from the Elvis equation.Parker was not an appliance, he had input into everything Presley did.
It seems impossible to start a conversation or messageboard topic about Parker without his apoligists jumping in to point out Elvis' shortcomings. We are all aware of them. They have been well documented. Why do the hackles go up when Parker is under the microscope?
Absolutely. All the major biographies of Elvis don't pull punches when pointing out Elvis' flaws. And rightfully so.
Elvis made timeless music. We all wouldn't be here without it. To expect that he should also be smart when it came to contracts and such is unrealistic.
Living Stereo wrote: August 31st, 2025, 3:50 pm
And with all due respect, I dont think Elvis f#cked it all up.
What he f**ked up was his health- and that is squarely on him. Nobody else. For the sake of himself and for his daughter - he should have made a sincere attempt ( not those stints in hispital) to get at least somewhat clean.
I believe Elvis should have taken more control over a number of things. For one thing, his health. But that can be quite difficult. If you are in a downward spiral it can be extremely hard to get out of it. Especially if there are only a few people around you that really have the courage to tell you the truth and kick your *ss!
But career-wise... yes, he had a manager. And yes, a manager is obligated to do his work, in the interest of his client, to the best of his abillities. And Elvis
should have been able to trust that... sure. But Elvis wasn't (or didn't have to be) just a helpless victim in the hands of a scammer. Elvis was the artist. He should have taken the artistic desicions. What music do I record? What songs will be put on an album? What does the cover of an album look like? What movies do I play in? What is the image I want to have? Where do I want to perform live? He is the one that should have made sure that his musical legacy was treated with the respect it so much deserved. He wasn't just an average artist. He was one of the all time greatest!
Maybe the above sounds a little bit on the negative side, but I just wish he would have stood up more for himself. He is and will always stay my musical hero. I love him as an artist and as a person. But if only...
Living Stereo wrote: August 31st, 2025, 3:50 pm
And with all due respect, I dont think Elvis f#cked it all up.
What he f**ked up was his health- and that is squarely on him. Nobody else. For the sake of himself and for his daughter - he should have made a sincere attempt ( not those stints in hispital) to get at least somewhat clean.
