Pete Vallee, a.k.a. Big Elvis, has long been a popular fixture on the Strip, first at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon (now The Cromwell), where he started out in 1992 and remained at for over a decade, prior to migrating to Harrah's. Vallee, who in the early days weighed in at a colossal 400 pounds, ballooned over the years -- thanks not least to the death of his mother and a failed marriage -- to a terrifying 960 pounds, rendering him unable to stand for his performances, which required a supply of oxygen to be on hand, and putting severe stress on his health.
Seeing himself on TV proved to be a wake-up call and Big E went on a self-imposed exercise-and-diet regimen that saw him slim down to his original weight for awhile. But then the pounds started piling on once again and in early June last year the performer -- who's now installed in the Piano Bar at Harrah's -- promised, via a Facebook Fan Page, that Big Elvis would be taking a break as he felt unwell and needed to rest and shed some more pounds. He was, however, still planning an event for his induction into the Las Vegas Walk of Stars (first announced back in 2014), plus an upcoming Big Elvis movie -- from what we could glean some kind of road-trip caper which was also designed to serve as a vehicle for promoting his brother's restaurant.
What the movie vision may have entailed, we'll likely never know, since in May last year Pete announced that the whole project was off and that anyone who'd pre-paid for copies of the film would be reimbursed. Prior to that, back in January, the Walk of Stars event had also been cancelled on account of the principal financial backer having pulled out. (Vallee estimated the whole thing would cost $20,000, which he didn't have). In a post on the Fan Page Pete expressed sincere regret and appealed for a new sponsor, assuring those who'd already donated that they'd be reimbursed in the meantime.
On August 7, finally some good news was forthcoming, with a triumphant Twitter announcement heralding Pete's return to Harrah's, with a new three-day-a-week performance schedule. But no sooner had he returned, it seemed, than disaster struck once more in the form of a serious car accident as the performer left his show one night early last October. Vallee was hospitalized and although his injuries were not life-threatening, it was a setback he surely didn't need.
On October 26 he returned to the stage for his regular 2, 3:30, and 5 p.m. shows in the Piano Bar, but several December dates were then canceled due to ill health. By January all seemed to be pretty much back to normal, however, and remained business as usual until last month, when a chunk of dates were canceled due to "March Madness," apparently. That's the last that Pete himself has communicated about his "day job" via Facebook or Twitter, and there's no mention of the shows on Harrah's website. On the other hand, a call to the concierge confirmed that he is still performing Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in those same 2, 3:30, and 5 p.m. slots, so we hope this latest scare is merely an oversight by the property's Web team. For his part, as you can see on the Facebook Fan Page, Pete appears to be preoccupied by his enthusiasm for a new weight-loss program he's involved in marketing and for which he's seeking investors. We wish him well with the venture, both health-wise and financially, and will post an update here and in "Today's News" if we learn anything different regarding his Harrah's shows.
