Village People frontman Victor Willis has died aged 74
The disco group confirmed that he suffered an “aggressive illness” before his passing
Village People co-founder and frontman Victor Willis has died aged 74 following an illness, the group have confirmed in a statement.
Sharing the news on Facebook on Wednesday, July 1, Village People said that they were "profoundly sad" to announce the death of their founding member.
They confirmed that Willis died a day prior, on June 30, after suffering a "short but aggressive illness" – a day before his 75th birthday.
In the late ‘70s, Willis helped co-found Village People, the beloved disco group, who became instantly recognisable for their colourful costumes and catchy, feel-good music.
Willis would often dress as a policeman or naval officer, particularly in music videos, while other members played on the idea of modern masculinity amongst the queer New York underground, dressing as bikers, soldiers, and construction workers.
French disco producer Jacques Morali, who was also a member of the group, once described Willis to Rolling Stone in the late ‘70s as "the young man with the big voice".
Together, Village People created hit tracks including ‘Macho Man’, ‘In The Navy’, and ‘Go West’, before landing a platinum hit with ‘Y.M.C.A.’ in 1978.
By early 1979, the single reached number two in the Billboard Hot 100 and scored a number one in the UK singles chart that same year. It was eventually inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 2020.
After leaving the group in 1980, Willis went on to pursue a solo career, often appearing at Major League Baseball stadiums to perform ‘The Star-Spangled Banner'.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor