{"id":2483712,"date":"2026-07-01T16:32:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T16:32:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2483712"},"modified":"2026-07-01T16:32:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T16:32:04","slug":"village-people-lead-singer-victor-willis-dead-at-74","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/village-people-lead-singer-victor-willis-dead-at-74\/","title":{"rendered":"Village People Lead Singer Victor Willis Dead at 74"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Village People are mourning the death of lead singer Victor Willis<\/strong> at the age of 74.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are profoundly sad to announce the death of Victor Willis, lead singer of Village People,\u201d the group wrote via Facebook<\/span><\/a>. \u201cVictor passed on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, of a short but aggressive illness. Privacy is requested.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victor\u2019s wife, Karen Huff Willis<\/b>, also confirmed her husband\u2019s death with \u201cprofound sadness\u201d via Facebook<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

An official cause of death has yet to be revealed.<\/p>\n

Alongside original members Randy Jones<\/strong>, Glenn Hughes<\/strong>, Felipe Rose<\/strong>, David Hodo<\/strong> and Alex Briley<\/strong>, Victor released two albums with the Village People and was part of massive hits, including \u201cMacho Man,\u201d \u201cIn the Navy\u201d and \u201cGo West.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2020, the group\u2019s biggest song,\u201dY.M.C.A.,\u201d was preserved for posterity by the National Recording Registry, selected annually by the United States Library of Congress, as \u201cculturally, historically or aesthetically significant\u201d and also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

While he left the group in 1980 to pursue a solo career, Victor returned to the group just a couple of years later and stayed until 2017.<\/p>\n

Soon after Victor\u2019s death was confirmed, President Donald Trump<\/strong> shared his condolences online.<\/p>\n

\u201cVillage People singer Victor Willis is dead at 74. He was a great and happy guy who loved that I used his group\u2019s song, \u2018YMCA,\u2019 at my Rallies,\u201d Trump, 80, wrote via Truth Social<\/span><\/a> on Wednesday, July 1. \u201cIt became a \u2018monster\u2019 hit, again, 30 years after its original launch. Many singers and groups wanted to get on board at the Rallies after all of the Rally Attendance Records were set \u2014 The crowds were, and are, enormous \u2014 But Victor and the group was there for us right from the beginning!\u201d<\/p>\n

The president vowed to think of Victor \u201cevery time \u2018YMCA\u2019 is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week. My condolences to his wonderful family and group, Victor Willis will be sorely missed, God Bless Him!!!\u201d<\/p>\n

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