Victor Willis, the leader of the 1970s disco group Village People, who appeared on stage in a police uniform, died at the age of 74, his wife announced Wednesday July 1 on the group’s accounts on social networks.
The musician, born in Texas, was the lead singer and co-writer of the group’s biggest hits, including the global hit YMCA (for “Young Men’s Christian Association”). “It is with deep sadness that I must announce the death of my husband, VICTOR WILLIS,” she wrote, referring to “a short, but aggressive illness.”
Willis left the group for a time in 1980, struggling with substance abuse problems. He pleaded guilty to cocaine possession in a San Francisco court in 2006.
A gay anthem since its release in 1978, the YMCA hit had a strange second life: it was taken over by Donald Trump, with the group’s approval, denying its original meaning.
The famous disco song became associated with the Republican candidate’s victory for his second term. The latter had on several occasions sketched a few dance steps on stage, surrounded by the star group of the 1970s, giving the title an unexpected second life.
“We are not a political group”
The song, composed by leader Victor Willis as well as Jacques Morali and producer Henri Belolo, both French, originally embodied an anthem for the homosexual male community. Between gay codes and stereotypical costumes, his evocative refrain fooled no one: “It’s fun to stay at the YMCA. /They have everything for young men to have fun/You can hang out with all the boys.” Words at odds with the conservative positions of the tenant of the White House.
YMCA is not a gay anthem, its lyricist Victor Willis has since repeated, announcing in December 2024 that he intended to sue anyone who attributed this meaning to the song.
“Let’s give President Trump a chance, regardless of what you may have thought of him in the past. Let’s see what he does in the future, and if he takes action to restrict LGBTQ rights, the Village People will be the first to speak out,” he wrote on Facebook.
The tube had already been used during Republican meetings in 2020, which its co-author – also sometimes disguised as a naval officer – had not appreciated.
After his change of heart and his favorable response to Donald Trump’s invitation to participate in his inauguration, the criticisms rained down. “Village People will perform for both Democrats and Republicans. We are not a political group. We never have been and we never will be, even if some of you try to pass us off as such,” Willis retorted.
