Victor Willis, the longtime lead singer and frontman of costumed disco group the Village People and cowriter of such indelible dance anthems as “Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man,” has died at 74. Willis, who performed as both a police officer and naval officer in the group whose members were known for their colorful stage attire and fit physiques, died on Tuesday (June 30) following a brief illness, according to a post on the group’s Facebook page.
“We are profoundly sad to announce the death of VICTOR WILLIS, lead singer of Village People. Victor passed on Tuesday June 30, 2026 of a short but aggressive illness. Privacy is requested,” read the post; Willis’ wife, Karen-Huff Willis, posted a similar message on her husband’s FB page. At press time, no additional information was available about the singer’s cause of death.
Born on July 1, 1951, in Dallas, Texas, Willis grew up in San Francisco’s notoriously funky Haight-Ashbury district, singing gospel in his Baptist minister father’s church as a young man before pivoting to soul music with his high school band. He used his acting and dance training at Antioch College to transition to musicals after a move to New York, where he joined the Negro Ensemble Company and appeared in the original Broadway production of The Wiz in 1976.
