{"id":2511797,"date":"2026-07-22T00:16:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T00:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2511797"},"modified":"2026-07-22T00:16:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T00:16:25","slug":"village-people-members-arrive-in-their-signature-band-costumes-to-pay-tribute-to-victor-willis-at-his-funeral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/village-people-members-arrive-in-their-signature-band-costumes-to-pay-tribute-to-victor-willis-at-his-funeral\/","title":{"rendered":"Village People Members Arrive in Their Signature Band Costumes to Pay Tribute to Victor Willis at His Funeral"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n
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The Village People wore their iconic costumes to honor late bandmate Victor Willis at his funeral<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Band members\u2019 outfits reflected their signature personas, including a cowboy, Native American chief, and construction worker<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Victor Willis, the group\u2019s lead singer, passed away at age 74 after a short illness, the band shared on Facebook at the time<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Victor Willis\u2019s bandmates paid a special tribute to the late singer at his funeral.<\/p>\n
After Willis\u2019s death at 74 on June 30, the remaining band members of the Village People decided to forgo traditional funeral attire \u2014 instead arriving in their respective costumes, quintessential to the band\u2019s performances.<\/p>\n
The band\u2019s costumes \u2014\u00a0each a nod to a different hypermasculine archetype \u2014stood in stark contrast to the group\u2019s festive disco tunes, thus capturing the essence of the Village People.<\/p>\n\n
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Felipe Rose at Victor Willis\u2019s funeral.Credit: BACKGRID<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
Felipe Rose, also a founding member of the band, wore the traditional attire of a Native American chief. Of American Indigenous descent himself, Rose\u2019s costume \u2014\u00a0which faced criticism for appropriation and stereotyping of Native American cultures \u2014\u00a0featured a large red and white feather headdress and traditional beading patterns.<\/p>\n
At Willis\u2019s funeral, Rose wore a similar look complete with the cascading headpiece, plus a sleeveless brown top and trousers.<\/p>\n
David Hodo was the band\u2019s construction worker, often wearing jeans, a work belt, some sort of button-up and his quintessential hard hat. Though he traded his workwear shirts for a construction vest for Willis\u2019s funeral, he was still instantly recognizable by his bright white helmet.<\/p>\n
Known for his \u201cG.I.\u201d attire, Alex Briley historically dressed as a United States soldier, sporting army green and camouflage, combat boots, and a matching cap. For Willis\u2019s funeral, Briley returned to his roots, donning a camo work shirt and matching pants, tucked into his boots, plus an army hat.<\/p>\n\n
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Alex Briley at Victor Willis\u2019s funeral.Credit: BACKGRID<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
As the band\u2019s cowboy, Randy Jones usually got into character with a suede vest, jeans, some heeled cowboy boots and \u2014\u00a0of course \u2014 a cowboy hat to bring it all together. Jones leaned into the look when paying his respects to Willis, adding leather gloves, a neckerchief and a pair of chaps.<\/p>\n
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