President Donald Trump paid tribute to Victor Willis, the lead singer of the Village People, who died Tuesday at age 74. In a Truth Social post Wednesday, Trump credited his own campaign rallies for breathing new life into the band's 1978 disco hit “Y.M.C.A.,” calling it a “monster hit” that became a staple of his political events.
“They loved the action, and we loved them and their great and uplifting song,” Trump wrote. “We will think of Victor every time YMCA is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week. My condolences to his wonderful family and group, Victor Willis will be sorely missed, God Bless Him!!!”
Willis and the Village People performed at Trump’s second inauguration last year, cementing a relationship that saw the band’s anthem become a de facto soundtrack for the president’s rallies. Trump’s frequent use of the song, often accompanied by his trademark dance moves, turned it into a cultural touchstone of his political brand.
A Life in Music and Struggle
Willis’s wife, Karen Huff-Willis, announced his death early Wednesday on Facebook, saying he died after “a short, but aggressive illness.” Born in 1951 in Dallas, Willis grew up singing in his Baptist preacher father’s church in San Francisco before moving to New York to join the Negro Ensemble Company, where he performed in musicals and plays.
In the late 1970s, he teamed up with French disco producer Jacques Morali to create the “Village People” album, and they formed the iconic band. Willis co-wrote “Y.M.C.A.,” which was released in 1978 and has since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. He left the group in 1980 to pursue a solo career and later won a legal battle to secure royalties for songs he helped produce.
Willis also faced personal demons, struggling with drug addiction and undergoing treatment for substance abuse. His family has requested privacy, and he is survived by his wife.
The president’s tribute comes amid a busy political week, as he continues to navigate a divided GOP over his SAVE Act push and other legislative priorities. Trump’s use of “Y.M.C.A.” has become a signature of his rallies, much like his frequent references to the 2020 election fraud claims that have shaped his political narrative.
Willis’s death marks the end of an era for a song that transcended its disco origins to become a political anthem. As Trump put it, the tune will now carry a new layer of meaning—a reminder of the singer who helped make it a rallying cry.
