Medical bills pain Elvis’ inner circle
Elvis Presley's inner circle has been rocked by recent medical setbacks.
On Tuesday, the 34th anniversary of Elvis' death, Joe Esposito, Elvis' right-hand man for almost 17 years, will be signing his book "Elvis: Intimate and Rare" at Gold nightclub in Aria at CityCenter to help defray mounting medical expenses for his wife, Martha, who is battling cancer.
Esposito's book signing will start at 6 p.m., when the "Viva Elvis" crowd begins gathering near Gold before Tuesday's show. Esposito also will be showing rarely seen home movies of his years with Elvis.
The book contains about 100 photos of Elvis and sells for $25. Elvis photos go for $10.
An Aug. 30 benefit show is being held by Pete "Big Elvis" Vallee on behalf of Sonny West, who served as Elvis' chief of security for many years. The show will take place at the Imperial Palace showroom from 5-8 p.m.
West's family faces some devastating financial challenges since his hospitalization in June.
Vallee, who headlines at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon, will be joined by entertainers and Elvis insiders who will share memories of The King.
Vallee has formed a non-profit organization named the Memory of the King Foundation to help those who were connected with Elvis through their careers or personally, as well as charities that were close to his heart.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Wayne Allyn Root, a Las Vegas sports handicapper-turned-political commentator, will be guest hosting on KXNT-FM, 100.5, as a candidate for the 3-6 p.m. time slot, which opened when the station let Alan Stock go last month. In an email, Root said he will be announcing plans for a pilot of his own TV talk show on a national cable channel. A side note: KXNT is no longer an AM station. ...
Topping the competition: Local chain Metro Pizza makes the Food Network's "50 States, 50 Pizzas." Named the Mulberry Street, the Nevada entry features strips of breaded fried eggplant, parmigiana and herb ricotta.
Check out the slide show at www.foodnetwork.com. Search for 50 states, 50 pizzas. You'll thank me. ...
Meanwhile, Las Vegan Vic "Vegas" Moea has made the final three of the "Food Network Star," which ends Sunday. UNLV grad Guy Fieri won "The Next Food Network Star" in 2006 and parlayed it into a series of shows and several restaurants and was the face and spokesman for T.G.I. Friday's for two years. ...
David de Alba and Paul "Lavern" Cummings, legendary drag performers at San Francisco's Finocchio Club, will appear at the Onyx Theatre, 953 E. Sahara, in a retrospective interview. The show starts at 5 p.m. and will feature rare film footage.
SIGHTINGS
Lisa Ling, host of "Our America" on Oprah Winfrey's OWN network, dining at Joe's Stone Crab (Forum Shops at Caesars) with a party of 27. She was a guest speaker for a Cox Communications event.
THE PUNCH LINE
"Aretha Franklin got out of a parking ticket in New York by singing to a meter maid. In a related story, Michael Bolton tried the same thing, and he's now serving life." -- Conan O'Brien
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
