"Colonel Parker asked Henry and me to come to Elvis' suite and have breakfast. There were at least five policemen stationed up there. He was talking on the telephone"
About this Quote
Pearl’s intent feels characteristically unglamorous, almost deadpan. She’s not name-dropping to borrow shine; she’s inventorying the scene the way a seasoned performer notes stage props. That understatement is the subtext: the absurdity is allowed to speak for itself. In a single breath, you get the machinery around Elvis, the gatekeeping power of Colonel Parker, and the surreal normality of it all - as if “breakfast” naturally includes police presence.
Context matters: Pearl comes from the Opry tradition, where stardom was big but porous, built on proximity and persona. Elvis represents the next, more industrial phase: celebrity as a controlled asset, routed through handlers, protected by law enforcement, always half-elsewhere (“talking on the telephone”). The phone call is its own symbol - Elvis as perpetually in demand, even when he’s supposedly available, even at breakfast. The line reads like a snapshot of American entertainment mid-transition: from approachable fame to fortified myth.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Pearl, Minnie. (2026, January 15). Colonel Parker asked Henry and me to come to Elvis' suite and have breakfast. There were at least five policemen stationed up there. He was talking on the telephone. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/colonel-parker-asked-henry-and-me-to-come-to-147751/
Chicago Style
Pearl, Minnie. "Colonel Parker asked Henry and me to come to Elvis' suite and have breakfast. There were at least five policemen stationed up there. He was talking on the telephone." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/colonel-parker-asked-henry-and-me-to-come-to-147751/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Colonel Parker asked Henry and me to come to Elvis' suite and have breakfast. There were at least five policemen stationed up there. He was talking on the telephone." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/colonel-parker-asked-henry-and-me-to-come-to-147751/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.

