Village People founder and frontman Victor Willis dies at 74

Victor Willis, the lead singer and a founding member of the Village People, has died aged 74 after what the group described as “a short but aggressive illness”. “Privacy is requested.”

His wife, Karen Huff-Willis, confirmed the news on his official Facebook account. “It is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of my husband, Victor Willis,” she wrote. “The family request privacy at this time of great loss.”

Willis co-founded the Village People in 1977 with Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo, and became known for portraying a policeman and naval officer in the disco act. Over a career spanning almost 50 years, he performed both with the Village People and as a solo artist.

Alongside Morali and Belolo, he helped write major hits including In the Navy, Macho Man and others. He left the Village People in the 80s, continued performing solo, and then returned to the group in 2017. He was still touring with the Village People as late as May 2026.

Although the group and its music became strongly associated with the LGBTQ+ community, Willis said YMCA was not a “gay anthem”. He later clarified that position, saying: “Although [I] don’t mind that gays think of YMCA as a gay anthem, I think it’s important that they be aware that my lyrics are not about that”. He added, “Still, as I’ve said many times already, it’s OK that they believe otherwise,” Willis said.

In 2025, Willis appeared with other Village People members at a pre-inauguration rally for US President Donald Trump’s second term. He joined Mr Trump on stage to perform YMCA, even though he had earlier asked him not to use Village People music at his rally.

Willis later said the renewed popularity of YMCA came from Mr Trump’s campaign use of the song, saying “it wasn’t the LGBTQ community that made YMCA great again … it wasn’t the African American community that did that either.”

In July of 2025, the group wrote on X: “While we don’t want YMCA to be used for political statements of any kind, President Trump merely sharing a video containing our song about President Obama does not meet the standard for copyright infringement,”

Willis said the Village People’s appearance was “not an endorsement of the president-elect’s policies”.

“We believe that music should be shared across the political spectrum and not preserved for one political side,” he said. “We are doing the right thing by performing and keeping political views out of this. “So please stop pushing your political views onto Village People.”

Mr Trump paid tribute by saying Willis was “a great and happy guy who loved that I used his group’s song, YMCA, at my rallies”.

“Many singers and groups wanted to get on board at the Rallies after all of the Rally Attendance Records were set — The crowds were, and are, enormous — But Victor and the group was there for us right from the beginning!” he said.

“They loved the action, and we loved them and their great and uplifting song.

“We will think of Victor every time YMCA is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week.

“My condolences to his wonderful family and group, Victor Willis will be sorely missed, God Bless Him!!!”

Before his death, the Village People had recently played shows in India after a European tour and also performed for US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.