Victor Willis, Village People co-founder whose ‘YMCA’ song fueled Trump’s signature dance, dies at 74 | Today’s news
Victor Willis, singer and co-founder of the disco group Village people whose hit “YMCA” became a staple at US President Donald Trump’s rallies, has died aged 74 after a short illness.
His wife made the announcement on Facebook on Wednesday.
“It is with deep sadness that I announce the death of my husband, VICTOR WILLIS. Victor passed away on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, following a short but aggressive illness.”
Trump pays tribute
Trump offered his condolences at the Truth Social, remembering Willis and the renewed popularity of the “YMCA” during his political rallies.
“He was a great, happy man who liked me to use his YMCA band’s song at my rallies. It became a ‘monster’ hit again, 30 years after its original release.”
He added: “We will be thinking of Victor every time the YMCA is played, like today, and throughout this Fourth of July birthday week.”
The voice behind disco classics
Born in Texas, Willis co-founded the Village People in 1977 after accepting an invitation from French producer Jacques Morali and music manager Henri Belol.
He co-wrote some of disco’s biggest hits, including:
According to the band’s website, Morali famously told Willis, “I had a dream that you sang lead vocals on an album I was producing, and it was very, very big… I’m going to make you a star.”
Disco phenomenon
The Village People became one of the defining acts of the late 1970s, known for flamboyant costumes depicting characters such as construction workers, bikers, cowboys, policemen and soldiers.
The band’s name was widely associated with New York’s Greenwich Village, the center of LGBTQ culture during the disco era.
Known for his trademark “cop” and “admiral” stage personas, Willis left the group in 1980.
Legal battles and a comeback
After years of struggling with drug addiction, Willis pleaded guilty in 2006 to possession of cocaine.
He returned to the Village People in 2017 after winning a copyright case that restored co-ownership of several of the band’s biggest songs.
The ‘YMCA’ and its political afterlife
Originally hailed as a disco classic and embraced by many in the LGBTQ community, “YMCA” found new life decades later as the signature soundtrack to Trump’s rallies and campaign events.
The song was inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2020 and also entered the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Willis has consistently rejected claims that the song was intended as a gay anthem.
He said in 2024: “It was a false assumption based on the fact that my writing partner was gay and some (not all) of the Village People were gay and that the first Village People album was entirely about gay life.”
Support for Trump’s second term
The Village People performed “YMCA” at a Trump rally in January 2025 before his second presidential inauguration.
At the time, Willis urged Americans to judge Trump by his actions rather than his reputation.
“Let’s give President Trump a chance, regardless of what you’ve thought of him in the past.”
He added, “We’ll see what he does next, and if he does things to limit LGBTQ rights, the Village People will be the first to speak.”
