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The Latest Breaking News from Jacques Morali

Village People co-founder Victor Willis dies at 74

Victor Willis, the lead singer of the disco group Village People whose hit Y.M.C.A. became a gay anthem and a fixture at rallies for Donald Trump, has died, his spouse said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. He was 74.

Bangkok Post

Victor Willis, who co-founded the Village People and co-wrote 'Y.M.C.A.,' dies at 74

Victor Willis, who co-founded the Village People and co-wrote some of the disco group's biggest hits, including “Y

The Independent UK

Victor Willis, frontman of Village People, dies age 74

The co-writer of enduring hits such as YMCA and Macho Man, who struggled with drug use and legal issues for years, passed away after ‘short but aggressive illness’

The Guardian - UK

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Victor Willis death: How did Village People lead singer die? From 'Y.M.C.A.' hit to regular fixtures for Donald Trump rally, all about Texas-born music legend

Victor Willis cause of death: Village People name was long assumed to be a reference to Greenwich Village in New York, which was the center of the city's gay scene in the 1970s.

The Economic Times

From Zooey Deschanel to Captain Kirk doing Dylan: the best songs by actors, ranked!

As Margaret Qualley moves into music, we rate 20 tracks by stars of film and TV, with Ryan Gosling doing ghost-rock and Jamie Foxx bringing the funk

The Guardian - UK

From YMCA to MAGA: why Trump plays Village People at his rallies

It was a bizarre sight watching a huge gay 1970s disco hit being performed at Donald Trump’s 2025 pre-inauguration rally. Many prominent artists from Beyoncé to Bruce Springsteen prohibit Trump from using their music. So why do Village People – a band synonymous with the 1970s gay liberation movement –…

The Conversation

From gay clubs to Maga anthem: the absurd, contested history of the Village People’s YMCA

A barely recognizable version of the band performed the 1978 classic at Donald Trump’s inauguration, the latest chapter in a strange tale of disco, feuds and showboating

The Guardian - US

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YMCA has never been gay, says the song’s lyricist and singer

Victor Willis of Village People says the hit is an anthem to Black male friendship – and his wife threatens to sue those who say otherwise

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