Victor Willis, lead singer of the disco group Village People whose hit Y.M.C.A. became a fixture at rallies for US President Donald Trump, has died, his spouse said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. He was 74.
"It is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of my husband, VICTOR WILLIS. Victor passed away on Tuesday June 30, 2026 as a result of a short, but aggressive illness," the post on Willis's official page said.
The Texas-born musician was a co-founder of the Village People and co-wrote hits including Y.M.C.A, In The Navy and Macho Man that swept the world's dancefloors in the late 1970s.
With their flamboyant costumes and choreography, the group became a pop culture phenomenon, targeting disco's large gay audience with camp fantasy characters of butch builders, bikers, cowboys and soldiers.
Willis left the group in 1980 but rejoined in 2017.
He struggled with drug addiction and took a plea deal over cocaine possession in 2006.
Y.M.C.A, whose lyrics urge "young men" to head to the Young Men's Christian Association in New York, became an anthem for the LGBTQ community and beyond.
But some say the song has been co-opted by the American right wing following its use at rallies and events supporting Trump.
The president developed his own trademark dance to accompany the song -- a stiff shuffle of the hips and fist bumps at waist-high level.
The band performed Y.M.C.A. at a Trump rally in January 2025, before the Republican was inaugurated for his second presidential term.
Willis said at the time: "Let's give President Trump a chance, regardless of what you may have thought about him in the past."
"Let's see what he's going to do moving forward and if he does things to restrict LGBTQ rights, Village People will be the first to speak out," he said. – AFP
