Victor Willis, the lead singer and co-founder of the disco group Village People, has died at the age of 74 after a brief illness. His family confirmed the news through posts shared on the band's official Facebook page and on Willis' official account.
"It is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of my husband, VICTOR WILLIS," his wife, Karen Huff Willis, wrote. She said he passed away on June 30, 2026, following "a short, but aggressive illness."
The band's official Facebook page also shared a statement saying, "We are profoundly sad to announce the death of Victor Willis, lead singer of Village People." The family has requested privacy during this time.
Early Life And Career
Born in Texas and raised in San Francisco, Willis started singing gospel music in his father's church before moving into jazz, soul and musical theatre. He appeared in stage productions such as Hair, Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Wiz before beginning his music career.
In 1977, Willis teamed up with French producer Jacques Morali to form Village People. As the group's lead singer and co-writer, he helped create some of its biggest hits, including YMCA, Macho Man, In the Navy and Go West.
YMCA became a global hit and was later added to the US Library of Congress' National Recording Registry and the Grammy Hall of Fame, cementing Victor Willis' musical legacy.
Rebuilding His Life
Willis left Village People in 1980 and later spoke openly about struggling with depression and drug addiction after his solo career failed to take off.
In a 2015 interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, he said, "I got very depressed over the years and decided to just drop off the map. So I got into drugs."
After receiving court-ordered treatment in 2006, Willis rebuilt his life and later won a long legal battle over the rights to several Village People songs. A federal jury ruled in 2015 that he owned 50% of the US rights to 13 songs, including YMCA, and he returned to the band two years later.
In recent years, YMCA gained fresh attention after it was played at rallies for US President Donald Trump. Although Willis had earlier said he did not support Trump, Village People later performed at his second inauguration in 2025.
Explaining the decision, Willis wrote on Facebook, "We believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics."
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