Pete “Big Elvis” Vallee Gets a Star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars at Harrah’s

By Scott Roeben, on March 02 2017
2 min read 2 comments
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Harrah’s Las Vegas headliner Pete Vallee, known to legions of fans as “Big Elvis,” has been honored with a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars.

Known for having a heart as big as his voice, Vallee was feted by friends and fans at a ceremony on Feb. 27, 2017.

Big Elvis Las Vegas Walk of Stars
Caesars Entertainment execs unveil Pete Vallee’s star. No veils, or stars, were harmed during the ceremony.

Pete Vallee has spent two decades entertaining Las Vegas visitors with his uncanny impression of Elvis Presley, and is pretty much single-handedly keeping The King’s memory alive in Las Vegas at the moment. No, really.

Vallee did a 10-year stint at the Barbary Coast, later called Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon, before moving to Harrah’s when Barbary Coast closed to become the Cromwell.

Big Elvis Las Vegas Walk of Stars
Somebody got a little emotional during the star ceremony. It was us, but let’s just say it was Pete.

It’s estimated Pete Vallee performed for 20,000 people in the Harrah’s Piano Bar in 2016, and has done an estimated 10,000 shows during his time on The Strip. His show remains one of the best free shows in Las Vegas.

Here’s the Big Elvis schedule at Harrah’s: Big Elvis shows happen Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

The Piano Bar at Harrah’s was recently expanded to accommodate bigger crowds, in large part because of Pete Vallee’s fervent following. We count ourself among them, by the way. We can be pretty fervent if we put our mind to something.

Pete Vallee star
Fun fact: Pete Vallee is rumored to know the lyrics to 500 Elvis songs. We did not personally know there were 500 Elvis songs.

Pete “Big Elvis” Vallee joins an exclusive club with his star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars. Vallee’s ceremony marked the 81st such star dedication ceremony. Other luminaries who have received stars include Wayne Newton, Liberace, Siegfried and Roy, Sammy Davis Jr., Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and others.

Vallee’s star is made of Red Indian Granite, which we’re fairly sure should be called Red Native American Granite. The star weighs 180 pounds, mainly to prevent it from being shoplifted.

Big Elvis Las Vegas
They were going to call it the Las Vegas Walk of Regular Star Polygons, but that didn’t quite have the same ring to it.

Stars in the Las Vegas Walk of Stars can be found along Las Vegas Boulevard, from Sahara Ave. to Russell Ave. Vallee’s star will be just outside the Harrah’s entrance closest to Carnaval Court.

We’ve known Pete Vallee for more than a decade, and chatted him up on the Vital Vegas Podcast. Take a listen.

For many Las Vegas visitors, Pete Vallee is an essential part of their time in Las Vegas. His
warmth, wit and immense talent have helped him become a beloved fixture on The Strip and one of the most lauded Elvis impersonators in the world. (Time Magazine ranked him in the top 10 worldwide.)


He’s uniquely deserving of a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars and we’re proud to call him a friend.