Victor Williams, a co-founder of the hugely popular disco group the Village People, has passed away, Soul Tracks reported. He was 74.
The Village People confirmed Willis’ passing on its official 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, after a short but aggressive illness. Privacy is requested,” the post read.
Karen Huff Willis, his wife, also issued a statement confirming his passing.
Born in Dallas, Texas, Willis grew up in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. He was raised singing gospel music in his father’s Baptist church in San Francisco.
When he moved to New York in the 1970s, he joined the renowned Negro Ensemble Company. His early stage career culminated in significant roles, including appearing in the original 1976 Broadway production of the hit musical The Wiz. During this time, he met Phylicia Rashad (then Phylicia Ayers-Allen). They were married from 1978 to 1982. Willis helped write and arrange vocals for Rashad’s solo disco album, Josephine Superstar.
In New York, he went to a YMCA on West 63rd Street in Manhattan, which would later inspire his hit song.
His background in theater eventually connected him with producer Jacques Morali. This pivotal meeting laid the groundwork for the Village People, a group that successfully transformed distinct costumes, theatrical characters, and dance music into a global brand. Fronting the group as the iconic, helmeted police officer , Willis steered the band from a studio project into a massive live touring act.
With the Village People, co-wrote the lyrics to the group’s biggest anthems, such as “Macho Man,” “In the Navy,” and “Y.M.C.A.”
WILLIS TURNS THE VILLAGE PEOPLE INTO AN ICONIC DISCO GROUP
As the group prepared for the feature film Can’t Stop the Music, Willis abruptly departed. Morali and business partner Henri Belolo believed it was time for Willis to pursue a solo career. Willis admitted that drug addiction caused him to “drop off the map.” Though he recorded a solo album in 1979 titled Solo Man, it sat unreleased for over 35 years.
In his later career, Willis achieved a groundbreaking victory for artists’ rights in the music industry. Utilizing the provisions of the Copyright Act of 1976, he launched a high-profile legal battle to reclaim the rights to his music. In 2012, a federal court ruled in his favor, allowing him to terminate old copyright transfers.
By 2015, a federal jury solidified this victory by ruling that Willis was the sole lyricist alongside composer Jacques Morali for 13 of the group’s biggest songs. He successfully secured 50% ownership of his catalog and set a powerful precedent for musicians fighting to reclaim their intellectual property.
In 2017, Willis reformed the band, which led to disputes with some of his former bandmates.
Speaking with the Union-Tribune, Willis reflected on accomplishments in music.
“I hope to be remembered as that guy who got out of the music business, but never gave up,” he said, “And came back — came back successfully — and did something for people to smile about.”