Victor Willis, the lead singer of Village People, has died at the age of 75.
The news was announced on the band’s social media accounts, with a post that said: “We are profoundly sad to announce the death of VICTOR WILLIS, lead singer of Village People.
“Victor passed on Monday June 30, 2026 of a short but aggressive illness. Privacy is requested.”
Singer-songwriter Willis was a founding member of the iconic disco group, whose hits include “Y.M.C.A”, “Go West” and “In The Navy”.
The group’s name is a nod to Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, the historical heart of New York’s LGBTQ+ scene.
Village People were formed in the late 1970s after Can’t Stop Productions, who had hits in Europe under their belts, decided to try cracking America.
The duo behind the production house discovered Willis via a demo tape and he recorded the first Village People album solo, co-writing a number of the tracks.
When the record proved to be a hit, Can’t Stop Productions recruited dancers to join Willis on the club circuit and the group adopted their character costumes, which play on macho stereotypes, with Willis dressing as a police officer.
After Willis exited the group in 1979, numerous other singers took over his leading role and Village People continued performing with various line-ups.
In 2012, he won a landmark legal battle over the rights to hit tracks including “Y.M.C.A” and “In The Navy”, being awarded a 33 per cent share of the credits, before this was upped to 50 per cent, three years later.
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In 2017, Willis rejoined Village People and hit the road again, with the band bringing their high-energy, disco sets to festivals and Pride events worldwide.
In recent years, Village People have also found themselves a somewhat unexpected fan: Donald Trump.
The US president began using their music at his rallies in 2020 and while Willis initially requested that he stop doing so, the group later changed their tune and even performed a pre-inauguration rally when Trump secured his second White House term last year.
Fans have paid tribute to Willis on social media, with one commenting on Village People’s Facebook page: “What a talented and skilled man that gave joy to millions all over the world. Victor wrote many hits that over the years turned into anthems.”
“So sorry to hear this!” wrote another. “Victor was a sweet, talented man!”
Willis is survived by his wife, Karen Huff-Willis.