Victor Willis, Village People singer and 'Y.M.C.A.' co-writer, dies at 74
Victor Willis, Village People singer and 'Y.M.C.A.' co-writer, dies at 74
Melina Khan, USA TODAYWed, July 1, 2026 at 11:07 AM UTC
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Victor Willis, the lead singer of Village People, has died, the disco group announced July 1. He was 74.
"We are profoundly sad to announce the death of VICTOR WILLIS, lead singer of Village People," a post on the group's Facebook page said.
The post added that Willis died on June 30 after a "short but aggressive illness" and asked for privacy.
Willis, who was one of the group's founders in the 1970s, died one day shy of his 75th birthday.
As one of Village People's seven original members, Willis co-wrote some of the group's most successful songs, including "Y.M.C.A.," "In The Navy" and "Macho Man."
Who was Victor Willis? Village People singer dies at 74
Willis was known for often performing with Village People in costume as a Navy admiral or police officer.
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He was a member of Village People in its early aughts before leaving in 1979 to embark on a solo career.
Willis eventually rejoined the group in 2017 after a series of legal battles, including a 2012 copyright case that allowed him to terminate rights to some of the group's early songs, including "Y.M.C.A."
In recent years, Village People's music became popular at rallies for President Donald Trump.
After Willis and the group performed at the president's inaugural festivities in January 2025, they said in social media posts that they are not a political group and would perform for both Democratic and Republican politicians.
Contributing: Mike Snider
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Victor Willis, singer from Village People, dies at 74
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