Sad to hear that Victor Willis, head of the Village People, has died at 75.
Donald Trump rushed to his computer to eulogize Willis early this morning, knowing he’d get a headline. Trump usurped Willis’s Village People song, “YMCA,” for his rallies even though it was about gay life in the 1970s.
Willis tried to stop Trump from using “YMCA” during his 2016 campaign, but failed. The singer-songwriter voted for Kamala Harris in 2024. But eventually he was persuaded by Trump’s team to come around and perform at the 2025 Inauguration. Money talks, everyone dances.
The Village People were a gay phenomenon in the late 70s and early 80s. Their songs, including “Macho Man” and “In the Navy,” were novelty hits. “Macho Man” even got parodied on “The Simpsons” as “Nacho Man.” During that time, Willis signed away his rights to his portion of the songs. But as “YMCA” grew as a crowdpleaser — especially at Yankee Stadium and other crowd events — he sued to recover his copyrights. He won the case in 2012.
Initially Willis sent a cease and desist letter to Trump over having a fake Village People band playing at Mar-a-Lago and singing the hits. He tried to stop Trump from using “YMCA.” Eventually, though, he realized there was money to be made from Trump’s usage. Everyone has a price, and Willis was not immune. By January 2025 he was on stage at Trump’s second inauguration.
Before Trump resurrected it, “YMCA” was kind of a joke. But Spotify now says it’s on the precipice of a shocking 500 million streams.
As for physical product, there’s only “The Very Best of the Village People” still available on amazon. It’s current at number 59,800. But let’s see over the weekend if Willis’s death gives it a boost. The irony would be sort of perfect for America 250.
Reports say Willis died after a short battle with cancer. Condolences.
