Victor Willis has died on June 30, 2026, on the eve of his 75th birthday. The news was announced by his wife and by the Village People, who honored their iconic lead singer. With his passing, one of the most recognizable voices of the disco era leaves the stage, the voice that helped turn the Village People into a global phenomenon in the late 1970s.
Born on July 1, 1951 in Dallas, Texas, Victor Willis grew up in a Baptist family, his father a pastor. He cut his teeth in the church choirs before training in theatre, singing, and dance. His talent soon carried him to Broadway, notably in the musical The Wiz, an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. It was at this moment that he caught the eye of French producer Jacques Morali, who invited him to join a new musical project: the Village People.
Created in 1977, the band stands out for its characters drawn from American male stereotypes – policeman, sailor, cowboy, factory worker, or even biker – and for its festive universe. Victor Willis, who alternates between the policeman and then the naval officer, becomes the lead singer of the band and co-writes most of its biggest hits.
In just a few years, the Village People racked up a string of hits with Macho Man, YMCA, In the Navy and Go West. These songs became the anthems of disco and continue to be heard in stadiums, at community celebrations, and at sporting events around the world.
Victor Willis exits the group for the first time in 1980, then makes a brief return at the start of the 1980s. For decades, he also pursues a lengthy legal battle to reclaim the copyrights to the songs he co-wrote with Jacques Morali. A fight won in part in the early 2010s, which has become a precedent in the United States on copyrights.
In 2017, he officially took back the reins of the Village People, becoming the only founding member still with the group. Until recently, he continued to perform on stage with the lineup on international tours.
