Victor Willis, Lead Singer of the Village People and Co-Writer of "Y.M.C.A.," Dies at 74
Victor Willis, the founding lead singer of the Village People and co-writer of some of the most recognizable songs in pop history, died Tuesday at the age of 74. His wife Karen Huff Willis announced his passing in a statement posted to his official Facebook page. "It is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of my husband, VICTOR WILLIS," she wrote. "Victor passed away on Tuesday June 30, 2026 as a result of a short, but aggressive illness. The family request privacy at this time of great loss."
The band confirmed the news in a separate post on its official Facebook page. Willis died one day before his 75th birthday.
The Voice Behind "Y.M.C.A."
Willis was born July 1, 1951, in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in San Francisco, where he sang gospel music in his father's Baptist church. He later moved to New York to pursue a career in acting and dance, training with the Negro Ensemble Company and appearing in the original 1976 Broadway production of The Wiz.
His life changed direction when he was introduced to French disco producer Jacques Morali, who offered him the chance to front a new album. Willis agreed, and the debut Village People album was released in July 1977. When an appearance on American Bandstand generated demand for a live touring act, Morali assembled a full group of performers around Willis, creating the iconic costumed ensemble. Willis played the cop, and sometimes a naval officer.
He went on to co-write all of the group's biggest hits: "Macho Man" and "Y.M.C.A." in 1978, "In the Navy" and "Go West" in 1979. "Y.M.C.A." was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2020 and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame the following year. Willis was the only original member still active in the group at the time of his death.
A Complicated Relationship With Trump
"Y.M.C.A." experienced a significant commercial resurgence beginning in 2020 when President Donald Trump began playing it at the close of his campaign rallies, a tradition that continued through his second term. The relationship between Willis and Trump over the song's use was complicated. Willis initially objected to the use, then changed his position. "He seems to genuinely like Y.M.C.A. and he's having a lot of fun with it," Willis wrote in a 2024 statement. "As such, I simply didn't have the heart to prevent his continued use of my song."
By January 2025, Willis and the Village People performed the song live at Trump's pre-inauguration rally. Trump paid tribute to Willis on Truth Social Wednesday, writing that Willis "was a great and happy guy who loved that I used his groups song, YMCA, at my Rallies" and saying he would "think of Victor every time YMCA is played."
Legal Victories and a Late-Career Return
Willis left the Village People in 1980 before the group filmed the musical Can't Stop the Music, which was released that year and became a box office disappointment. After years away, he won a landmark copyright ruling in 2012, the first case decided under the Copyright Act of 1976 allowing recording artists to reclaim ownership of their work. The ruling gave Willis at least partial ownership of more than two dozen Village People songs, including "Y.M.C.A.," "Macho Man" and "In the Navy."
Following an out-of-court settlement with Morali's business partner Henri Belolo in 2017, Willis returned to the group as lead singer and remained active until his death. The Village People released a Christmas album in 2018 and performed at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the Kennedy Center in December 2025.
Willis was previously married to actress Phylicia Rashad from 1978 to 1982. He is survived by his wife Karen Huff Willis, whom he married in 2007.
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