Victor Willis, the lead singer and frontman of the Village People, died at age 74 after a short but aggressive illness. The family requested privacy following his death, and his spouse announced the news in a Facebook post on Wednesday. The band also shared the news of his death in a separate social‑media post.

Willis was a founding member and co‑founder of the Village People, according to abc_au. He was born in Texas in 1951 (abcnews.com) and grew up singing gospel music in a church where his father was a Baptist minister (abcnews.com). He often performed dressed as a helmeted police officer. Willis co‑wrote the group’s biggest hits, including “Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man,” as reported by bluesky. He left and returned to the group several times, returning for good in 2017 (abcnews.com). France24 reported that Willis died on 30 June 2026.

The song “Y.M.C.A.” later became a fixture at rallies for U.S. President Donald Trump, according to the South China Morning Post.