{"id":3200,"date":"2026-07-01T14:40:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T14:40:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3200"},"modified":"2026-07-01T14:40:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T14:40:12","slug":"trump-pays-tribute-to-village-people-lead-singer-victor-willis-who-died-at-74","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3200","title":{"rendered":"Trump pays tribute to Village People lead singer Victor Willis, who died at 74"},"content":{"rendered":"
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President Trump paid tribute to Victor Willis, the \u201cmotorcycle cop\u201d lead singer of the \u201970s disco group the Village People, whose death was announced Wednesday, saying he will be \u201csorely missed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Socialists score another major win as Melat Kiros topples Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado<\/a><\/p>\n

The Village People\u2019s 1978 hit song \u201cY.M.C.A.\u201d became a staple at Mr. Trump\u2019s rallies and was played at other appearances by the president.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a great and happy guy who loved that I used his group\u2019s song, YMCA, at my rallies. It became a \u2018monster\u2019 hit again 30 years after its original launch,\u201d Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany singers and groups wanted to get on board at the rallies after all of the rally attendance records were set \u2014 the crowds were, and are, enormous \u2014 But Victor and the group was there for us right from the beginning. They loved the action and we loved them and their great and uplifting song,\u201d the president posted.<\/p>\n

Mr. Trump added that he will think of Mr. Willis \u201cevery time YMCA is played\u201d and expressed condolences to his family.<\/p>\n

Mr. Willis was 74. His death was announced by his wife and the band on Facebook posts Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of my husband Victor Wilis. Victor passed away on Tuesday June 30, 2026, as a result of a short but aggressive illness,\u201d Karen Huff-Willis wrote in a statement.<\/p>\n

The Texas-born musician was a co-founder of the Village People and co-wrote many of the group\u2019s hits, including \u201cY.M.C.A.,\u201d \u201cIn the Navy\u201d and \u201cMacho Man.\u201d The Village People\u2019s flamboyant costumes and choreography made them a pop culture phenomenon targeting disco\u2019s largely gay audience.<\/p>\n

Read more Trump says U.S. and Iran are getting along well despite military flare-up near Strait of Hormuz<\/a><\/p>\n

Mr. Willis left the group in 1989 but rejoined in 2017. He struggled with drug addiction and accepted a plea deal in a cocaine possession case in 2006.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got very depressed over the years and decided to just drop off the map. So I got into drugs,\u201d he told the San Diego Union Tribune in 2015.<\/p>\n

The group had a resurgence in recent years as Mr. Trump made \u201cY.M.C.A.\u201d a fixture at his campaign rallies. Mr. Willis declined to endorse Mr. Trump but performed the hit at his rallies.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t endorse Trump, I\u2019ve never endorsed Trump, nor has the Village People,\u201d Mr. Willis told the BBC in 2020. \u201cBut because of the copyright laws in the United States, he\u2019s able to play our music any time he wants to.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band performed \u201cY.M.C.A.\u201d at a rally in January 2025 before Mr. Trump was inaugurated for his second term as president.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s give President Trump a chance, regardless of what you may have thought about him in the past,\u201d Mr. Willis said at the time. \u201cLet\u2019s see what he\u2019s going to do moving forward, and if he does things to restrict LGBTQ rights, Village People will be the first to speak out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Trump\u2019s financial disclosures reveal windfall for the president<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 This article is based in part on wire service reports.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Trump paid tribute to Victor Willis, the “motorcycle cop” lead singer of the ’70s disco group the Village People, whose death was announced Wednesday, saying he will be “sorely missed.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56,57],"tags":[14,2011,2012,2010],"class_list":["post-3200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-entertainment","tag-donald-trump","tag-victor-willis","tag-village-people","tag-ymca"],"yoast_head":"\nTrump pays tribute to Village People lead singer Victor Willis, who died at 74 - Home Buyer Relocation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=3200\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump pays tribute to Village People lead singer Victor Willis, who died at 74 - 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