Village People’s Victor Willis performs at the Quebec Festival in Quebec City, Canada on July 11, 2019.Amy Harris/Associated Press
Victor Willis, co-founder of the Village People, who co-wrote the disco group’s classic hits “YMCA,” “Macho Man” and “In the Navy,” and who delighted audiences with his band’s helmet-and-mustache police costumes, has died at the age of 74.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Village People lead singer Victor Willis,” the group posted on its official Facebook page. The cause was determined to be a “short-term but progressive disease.”
Willis was a musician and actor who appeared in Broadway’s The Wiz, among others. In 1977, he decided to cash in on the disco craze by joining a group of burly, macho men dressed as bikers, construction workers, cops, cowboys, and Native American chiefs.
Willis founded the six-member Village People with producer Jacques Morari and Mollari’s business partner Henri Berollo. The idea came to him while partying after hours at a gay nightclub in Manhattan’s West Village. The group’s self-titled debut album was released in 1977.
In 1978, the group released two albums, “Macho Man” and “Cruisin”, which included the worldwide hit “YMCA”, which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard charts. A year later, Village People released the album Go West, which included “In the Navy”, a hit that peaked at No. 3 on the charts. “Macho Man” peaked at number 25 in 1978.
On October 31, 1979, Willis appeared at a Halloween party in Los Angeles.George Brich/Associated Press
In 2020, Congress added the song to the National Recording Registry, describing “YMCA” as an “American phenomenon,” with its infectious chorus of “It’s Fun to Stay at the YMCA” and accompanying letter-spelling dance. In 2021, he will be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Willis also starred in the 1980 film Can’t Stop the Music. The film was a widely derided comedy starring the Village People and Steve Guttenberg and directed by Nancy Walker. Critic Rex Reed called the film “one of the silliest movies ever made.”
Village People’s music is a must-have for pool parties, high school dances, weddings, proms, bar mitzvahs, games, and any time you need a high. The song was performed at the Gay March and at the White House.
“We will remember Victor every time ‘YMCA’ plays like today and throughout his 4th birthday week this July,” President Donald Trump wrote on social media Wednesday. “Our condolences go out to his wonderful family and group, Victor Willis.”
Neil Young, John Fogerty, Phil Collins, Panic! At The Disco and Leonard Cohen’s mansion, where Tom Petty and Prince sent a cease-and-desist letter to stop Trump from using their music, Willis said he didn’t feel like he was supporting Trump when the song was played.
Willis was born in Texas and grew up in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. When he moved to New York, he frequented the YMCA on West 63rd Street in Manhattan, which became the inspiration for his hit song.
The ownership of the Village People’s songs came into question decades after their hit, with a federal jury ruling in 2015 that Willis owned 50 percent of the U.S. copyright ownership of 13 of the group’s songs, including “YMCA.”
After multiple arrests on drug-related charges and a stint in rehab, Willis told The Associated Press in 2012 that his life had turned around. “Life is good. After everything I’ve been through, everything is going well now,” he said.
In May, Willis and the Village People (Willis was the only original member) sang “Happy Birthday” and “YMCA” for Secretary of State Marco Rubio during an event in India.
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