Victor Willis, lead singer of the disco group Village People, has di£d at the age of 74.
His wife and the band made the announcement in Facebook posts on Wednesday, July 1.
“It is with profound sadness that I must announce the d£ath of my husband, VICTOR WILLIS,” Karen-Huff Willis said in a statement on the musician’s Facebook page. “Victor passed away on Tuesday June 30, 2026 as a result of a short, but aggressive illness.”
The band shared a similar statement on its Facebook page.
The Texas-born musician was a co-founder of the Village People and co-wrote hits including “Y.M.C.A,” “In the Navy” and “Macho Man” that swept the world’s dancefloors in the late 1970s.
Willis left the group in 1980 but rejoined in 2017.
He struggled with drug addiction and took a plea deal over cocaine possession in 2006.
President Donald Trump paid tribute to Willis, calling him “a great and happy guy who loved that I used his groups song, YMCA, at my Rallies.” In a statement on Truth Social, Trump called it an “uplifting song” and said he would “think of Victor every time YMCA is played.”