Victor Willis, Village People co-founder and 'Y.M.C.A.' singer, dies at 74 after brief illness; Trump pays tribute

Published 1 July 2026 · entertainment

Victor Willis, the lead singer and co-founder of disco group Village People whose hit "Y.M.C.A." became a staple at rallies for US President Donald Trump

Victor Willis, the lead singer and co-founder of disco group Village People whose hit "Y.M.C.A." became a staple at rallies for US President Donald Trump, has died at the age of 74 after a brief illness. His wife announced the news in a Facebook post on Wednesday. "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." Trump pays tribute Trump expressed his condolences on Truth Social, remembering Willis and the renewed popularity of "Y.M.C.A." during his political rallies. "He was a great and happy guy who loved that I used his group's song, YMCA, at my rallies. It became a 'monster' hit, again, 30 years after its original launch." He added: "We will think of Victor every time YMCA is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week." The voice behind disco classics Born in Texas, Willis co-founded Village People in 1977 after accepting an invitation from French producer Jacques Morali and music executive Henri Belolo.

He co-wrote some of disco's biggest hits, including Y.M.C.A. Macho Man In the Navy According to the band's website, Morali famously told Willis: "I had a dream that you sang lead vocals on an album I produced, and it went very, very big... I'll make you a star." A disco phenomenon Village People became one of the defining acts of the late 1970s, known for flamboyant costumes portraying characters such as construction workers, bikers, cowboys, police officers and soldiers. The band's name was widely associated with New York City's Greenwich Village, a center of LGBTQ culture during the disco era. Willis, known for his signature "cop" and "admiral" stage personas, left the group in 1980. Legal battles and comeback After years marked by struggles with drug addiction, Willis pleaded guilty to cocaine possession in 2006.

He returned to Village People in 2017 after winning a copyright case that restored part-ownership of several of the band's biggest songs. 'Y.M.C.A.' and its political afterlife Originally celebrated as a disco classic and embraced by many in the LGBTQ community, "Y.M.C.A." found new life decades later as the signature soundtrack to Trump's rallies and campaign events. The song was inducted into the Library of Congress's Recording Registry in 2020 and also entered the Grammy Hall of Fame. Willis consistently rejected claims that the song was intended as a gay anthem. In 2024, he said: "It was a false assumption based on the fact that my writing partner was gay, and some (not all) of Village People were gay, and that the first Village People album was totally about gay life." Support for Trump's second term Village People performed "Y.M.C.A." at a Trump rally in January 2025 before his second presidential inauguration.