Victor Willis, the lead singer and theatrical frontman of Village People, has died at 74, the group announced in a social media post.
The band said Willis died Monday after “a short but aggressive illness.” His exact cause of death was not disclosed.
The voice behind the band’s biggest songs
Willis helped define Village People’s sound during the disco group’s late-1970s rise, when its members performed in highly recognizable stage costumes, including police officer and naval officer outfits. Subtle, it was not. Effective, very much so.
He also co-wrote several of the group’s best-known tracks, including:
- “YMCA”
- “Macho Man”
- “Go West”
- “In The Navy”
Those songs became the band’s commercial engine and turned Village People into one of the most recognizable acts of the disco era.
