Victor Willis, lead singer of the original Village People lineup and co-writer of hits such as “YMCA” and “In the Navy,” has died at the age of 74 following a “short but aggressive illness.”
The group announced this on Wednesday on its official Facebook page, where they expressed their “deep sadness” over Willis’s death on Monday, June 30.
The singer, who would have turned 75 today, was the police officer of the group, which was formed in 1977 and in which each member took on a different character—the others were a cowboy, a soldier, a biker, a laborer, and a Native American.
Willis was the first to join the Village People, a project by producer Jacques Morali, who convinced him with the following words: “I have four songs. I can’t pay you much right now, but if you accept, I’ll make you a star,” according to the group’s website.
Born in Texas in 1951, the son of a preacher, Willis began singing in his father’s church choir and trained in New York, where he appeared in plays and musicals.
In fact, he was discovered in the musical *The Wiz* by the arranger Horace Ott, who was the one who suggested his name to Morali.
Those first four songs—“San Francisco (You’ve Got Me),” “In Hollywood (Everyone’s a Star),” “Fire Island,” and “Village People”—were recorded by Willis alongside professional backup singers and released on the album *Village People* in 1977.
It was a huge success and led to the creation of a group to accompany Willis. Mark Mussler (laborer), David Forrest (cowboy), Lee Mouton (biker), and Peter Whitehead (no specific role) were hastily chosen for that first lineup.
After their first appearance on a television show, an ad was published to replace the original members. The text simply read: “Wanted: Very masculine men for a world-famous disco band. Must know how to dance and have a mustache.”
Randy Jones (cowboy), Glenn Hughes (biker), and David Hodo (laborer) joined the group, and they were later joined by Felipe Rose (Native American) and Alex Briley (soldier).
Willis remained with the group for just over two years, during which time he co-wrote global hits such as “YMCA,” “In the Navy,” “Macho Man,” and “Go West.”
In late 1979, he decided to launch a solo career, which didn’t have much impact, and he returned to the Village People in 2017 as the lead singer.
The band has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and continues to enjoy great success. In 2025, the Village People performed at Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration.
Willis, who struggled with serious drug problems for years, was married from 1978 to 1982 to actress Phylicia Ayers-Allen, who was very popular in the 1980s for her role as Clais Huxtable on “The Bill Cosby Show,” and in 2007 he married attorney Karen Huff, according to Agencia EFE.