The Village People's Victor Willis dies aged 74

The Village People’s Victor Willis dies aged 74, ending a career that included the band’s defining hit “YMCA.” Willis, one of the group’s founding members, died on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, after a “short but aggressive illness.” His family announced the death on Facebook and requested privacy, and his widow, Karen Huff-Willis, repeated that he passed away that day due to the same illness. Willis began performing in a gospel choir at his father’s Baptist church and later worked in acting, including Broadway in William F. Brown’s “The Wiz.” In 1977, he and French producer Jacques Morali founded The Village People. “YMCA” became a worldwide smash in 1978. The article also notes the song’s recent association with Donald Trump events, and that Willis had disputed claims calling it a “gay anthem.”