The lead singer and co-founder of the disco group Village People, Victor Willis, died after a “short but serious illness,” according to a message on the group’s Facebook page. The musician died the day before his 75th birthday. The YMCA song, written with the participation of Willis, has become the unofficial anthem of US President Donald Trump's rallies in recent years – he regularly performed his signature dance to it.
Willis is known as the co-author of the group's main hits – the song YMCA, released in 1978, became the calling card of the Village People, and was followed by the songs In the Navy and Go West with great success. The combination of disco music and memorable stage costumes brought Village People worldwide recognition: the participants played up the images of a policeman, a cowboy, a builder and other stereotypical characters, writes Variety. Willis himself most often appeared on stage in the uniform of a policeman or naval officer.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Victor Willis, lead vocalist of Village People. Victor passed away on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, after a short but serious illness. We ask that you respect the family’s right to privacy,” the statement said.
The future musician was born into the family of a Baptist preacher in San Francisco (California) and sang in his father’s church parish from an early age. Later, moving to New York, he joined the Negro Ensemble Company and performed in many productions, including the original Broadway version of The Wiz in 1976.
The Village People were founded in 1977 by Willis along with producers Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo. By the end of the 1970s, the group achieved impressive commercial success – the song YMCA rose to second place on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and In the Navy took third place, notes The New York Times.
Willis left the group in 1980, briefly returning to the group in 1983. In 2015, he released his solo album Solo Man, recorded back in 1979. Two years later, the musician rejoined the Village People after settling a dispute with Henri Belolo over the copyright of his works – then with his participation, the Christmas album A Village People Christmas was created.
The musician suffered from drug addiction for many years; in 2007, he underwent treatment at the Betty Ford Clinic, writes Variety.
In March 2020, the US Library of Congress named YMCA an “American phenomenon” and added the composition to the National Recording Registry. A year later, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Trump campaign's greatest hit
The YMCA song was regularly played at Donald Trump's election rallies – he performed his signature dance to it. According to Deadline, Willis initially objected to this, but Trump's team obtained the legal right to use the song for political purposes through the copyright management organization BMI. The musician did not challenge this decision in court.
The vocalist later admitted that thanks to the popularity of the composition, he received several million dollars in additional income. Willis himself has appeared alongside Trump on numerous occasions at public events, and in May 2026, the Village People performed YMCA for US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during an official event in India.
On Tuesday, Trump expressed condolences over the musician's death. The American leader said Willis was “really pleased” that he used his “inspirational song” at his rallies. According to Trump, the team supported the presidential campaign “from the very beginning.”
“He was a wonderful and cheerful man who really liked that I used his YMCA band’s song at my rallies. 30 years after its first release, it again became a real “superhit”. We will remember Victor every time the YMCA sounds, including today and throughout the Fourth of July holiday week,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
