Victor Willis, the original lead singer of the Village People and co-writer of the band's signature hit Y.M.C.A., has died at age 74. The Village People announced the news in a statement, saying Willis passed away on Monday, June 30, 2026, following "a short but aggressive illness."
Willis fronted the disco group during its most successful period in the late 1970s. He co-wrote several of their biggest songs, including the 1978 smash Y.M.C.A., which reached number one in 17 countries and became one of the most recognizable songs in popular music history. The Village People achieved additional commercial success with hits like Macho Man and In the Navy.
The group was created by French producer Jacques Morali and businessman Henri Belolo, who discovered Willis performing on Broadway. Morali conceived the idea of a disco group based on archetypal American male stereotypes, recruiting performers who fit the concept through advertisements seeking "macho types" with mustaches. The band's members performed in costumes representing various masculine archetypes, including a construction worker, cowboy, and leather figure. Willis typically performed as either a naval officer or policeman.
Despite the widespread perception that Y.M.C.A. and Macho Man were gay anthems, Willis rejected this characterization and threatened legal action against news organizations making the claim. In 2024, he stated: "As I've said numerous times in the past, that is a false assumption based on the fact that my writing partner was gay, and some (not all) of Village People were gay."
Willis left the band in 1980 as they were preparing for the feature film "Can't Stop the Music," which proved a commercial and critical failure. He returned briefly in 1982 for the album "Fox on the Box" before departing again the following year.
Willis then withdrew from public life and struggled with decades of substance abuse and legal troubles. In 1993, he was charged with raping and beating a woman but was later acquitted. Between 2005 and 2006, he faced multiple arrests related to cocaine possession and firearms offenses. A judge eventually showed leniency, citing his "potential which remains untapped," and sent him to the Betty Ford rehabilitation clinic.
Willis maintained a complex relationship with Donald Trump's use of Y.M.C.A. at campaign events and rallies. After initially approving its use during Trump's 2020 presidential campaign, he later withdrew support during the Black Lives Matter movement but subsequently changed his position again. Though Willis stated he was ideologically opposed to Trump and supported Kamala Harris in 2024, he acknowledged that the president's use of the track had "greatly benefited the song." The Village People performed at Trump's second inauguration events in 2025.
Willis was born July 1, 1951, in Texas and grew up singing in a Baptist church run by his father. He became a Broadway performer and was married to actress Phylicia Rashad from 1978 to the early 1980s.