Pete Vallee: Elvis’ biggest fan

In a town full of Elvis impersonators, Pete Vallee is literally the biggest, said Mark Winegardner in Details. For the past 15 years, Vallee has been performing at various spots in Las Vegas as “Big Elvis”—the fat, latter-day King, plus a few hundred pounds. Raised by his divorced mother, who told him he was the product of an affair she had with Elvis in 1964, Vallee grew up in a household where meals were scarce. “Food,” says Vallee, “meant things were okay.”

When he began performing as Big Elvis, Vallee weighed around 400 pounds. Then he began eating in earnest. “I’d have five cheeseburgers, two fries, and a milkshake for lunch,” he says. “I’d have a pizza and a half and Cinnabons. I loved banana cream pie and jelly doughnuts, Elvis’ staples of life.” Vallee eventually weighed himself on the bulk-mail scale at the post office, and saw the number 960.

Recognizing he had a “serious problem,” Vallee bought a 15-foot aboveground pool, put it in his backyard, and began swimming laps. With the help of his manager, he stuck to a radical diet and dropped more than 500 pounds over five years. “The first year was hell,” says Vallee. “There were many nights when I thought I was going to die.” He’s still dieting, hoping to get down to 280. “It was a scary ride, but the worst is over.”

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