Victor Willis, co-founder of Village People and lead singer of hits like “Y.M.C.A.,” “Macho Man” and “In the Navy,” has died at age 74. The news was confirmed by the group on its official Facebook page, where they noted that the cause was “a brief but aggressive illness.”
Willis was known for his characterization of the policeman within the group, with a helmet and mustache, a character that became iconic in the disco era.
A race marked by pace
Born as a musician and actor, Willis had participated on Broadway in “The Wiz” before joining the disco fever in 1977. Together with producer Jacques Morali and his partner Henri Belolo, he founded the Village People, a group made up of men dressed as a motorcyclist, worker, police officer, cowboy and indigenous chief. The idea came while they were out partying at a gay nightclub in Manhattan’s West Village.
The self-titled debut album was released in 1977. In 1978 they released “Macho Man” and “Cruisin'”, the latter with “Y.M.C.A.”, a song that reached number 2 on Billboard. A year later, “In the Navy” reached number 3. “Macho Man” also entered the top 25.
In 2020, the United States Congress described “Y.M.C.A.” as “an American phenomenon” and included it in the National Recording Registry. In 2021, he was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
“We will think of Victor every time ‘Y.M.C.A.’ plays, like today, and throughout this 4th of July birthday week. My condolences to his wonderful family and the group; Victor Willis will be deeply missed,” President Donald Trump wrote on social media.
