[Edaily Reporter Park Joon-hyoung ] Victor Willis, the lead singer of the American disco group Village People, passed away on the 30th of last month (local time).
According to AFP on the 1st (local time), Willis’s spouse announced via his official Facebook account that day, “It is with deep sorrow that I share the news of my husband Victor Willis’s passing,” adding, “Victor passed away after a brief but rapidly deteriorating illness.” He was 74 years old.
Formed in New York City, the Village People first debuted in the UK in 1977 with the single “San Francisco.”
Riding the wave of the global disco boom of the late 1970s, they produced hit songs such as “Macho Man,” “San Francisco,” and “Can’t Stop the Music,” in addition to “YMCA” and “Go West.”
Their signature song, “YMCA,” features lyrics about the community centers operated by the global nonprofit organization “Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA)” in various U.S. cities and is famous for its upbeat chorus.
The song also garnered attention for being frequently used at U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign rallies. Toward the end of his 2020 campaign, President Trump performed a simple dance to the song, clenching both fists and crossing his arms in time with the rhythm while bending and straightening his arms back and forth.