Victor Willis, the original lead singer of Village People and the voice behind some of disco’s most enduring hits, has died at the age of 74.
Death Announcement
The Texas-born musician, who co-wrote classics including YMCA, Go West, and In The Navy, died on Tuesday. It followed what his family described as a short but aggressive illness.
Willis’ death was confirmed in a statement shared on the Village People’s official Facebook page.
The statement read, “We are profoundly sad to announce the death of Victor Willis, lead singer of Village People. Victor passed on Tuesday June 30, 2026 of a short but aggressive illness. Privacy is requested.”
His wife, Karen Huff Willis, also shared the announcement on the singer’s personal Facebook page.
For millions of music fans around the world, Willis will forever be remembered as the unmistakable voice at the center of one of the most recognizable groups of the disco era.
Dressed as larger-than-life characters including a police officer and a naval officer, the Village People became international sensations during the late 1970s. They blended infectious dance music with unforgettable performances that helped define an era.
The Beginning
Raised in San Francisco, Willis first sang gospel music in his Baptist minister father’s church. He later discovered a love for jazz and soul.
As a teenager, his band, The Ballads, even supported The Temptations. Willis found himself performing alongside jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie during recording sessions.
His path then led to the stage, where roles in productions of Hair, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Wiz showcased his powerful voice and opened new opportunities.
It was while appearing in The Wiz that he met his first wife, future The Cosby Show star Phylicia Rashad.
Chance at Fame
Everything changed in 1977 when French producer Jacques Morali invited Willis to sing on a demo for a new disco project.
Morali told him, “I had a dream that you sang lead on my album and it went very, very big.”
Village People’s albums Macho Man, Cruisin’, and Go West produced a string of international hits. However, YMCA became one of the defining songs of popular music.
The track topped charts in 17 countries and inspired one of the world’s most recognizable dance routines. It eventually earned a place in the National Recording Registry and the Grammy Hall of Fame for its cultural significance.
Leaving The Village People
Despite the band’s enormous success, Willis left the Village People in 1979 before production began on Can’t Stop the Music, the film that ultimately failed to match the group’s popularity.
His departure marked the beginning of a difficult chapter. Willis struggled to establish himself as a solo artist while distancing himself from the Village People’s image. He later admitted the disappointment led him into years of substance abuse.
He told the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2015, “I got very depressed over the years and decided to just drop off the map. So I got into drugs. So much had been taken away from me that I just turned to drugs.”
Rebuilding His Life
The singer eventually rebuilt his life after receiving court-ordered treatment in 2006.
He also found renewed purpose alongside his second wife, attorney Karen Huff Willis. She helped him pursue a lengthy legal battle over ownership of the songs he had co-written.
In 2015, a federal jury ruled that Willis was entitled to 50 percent ownership of 13 Village People songs in the United States, including YMCA. The landmark decision paved the way for his return to the group two years later.
More recently, Willis found himself back in the headlines after the Village People performed YMCA at President Donald Trump’s pre-inauguration rally in January 2025.
Although he had previously objected to the song being used at political events, he later explained the decision by writing, “We know this won’t make some of you happy to hear, however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics.”
He added that he hoped the YMCA could “help bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign.”