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Re: Victor Willis, Village Person

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Mark Shaw <mshaw@panix.com> wrote:
> https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/news/village-people-victor-willis-dead-b3006446.html
> 
>     Victor Willis, the lead singer of Village People, has died at
>     the age of 75.
> 
>     The news was announced on the band's social media accounts,
>     with a post that said: "We are profoundly sad to announce the
>     death of VICTOR WILLIS, lead singer of Village People.
> 
>     "Victor passed on Monday June 30, 2026 of a short but aggressive
>     illness. Privacy is requested."
> 
>     Singer-songwriter Willis was a founding member of the iconic
>     disco group, whose hits include "Y.M.C.A", "Go West" and "In
>     The Navy".
> 
>     The group's name is a nod to Manhattan's Greenwich Village,
>     the historical heart of New York's LGBTQ+ scene.
> 
>     Village People were formed in the late 1970s after Can't Stop
>     Productions, who had hits in Europe under their belts, decided
>     to try cracking America.

Hence the name of their film flop "Can't Stop the Music"?
 
>     The duo behind the production house discovered Willis via a
>     demo tape and he recorded the first Village People album solo,
>     co-writing a number of the tracks.
> 
>     When the record proved to be a hit, Can't Stop Productions
>     recruited dancers to join Willis on the club circuit and the
>     group adopted their character costumes, which play on macho
>     stereotypes, with Willis dressing as a police officer.
> 
>     After Willis exited the group in 1979, numerous other singers
>     took over his leading role and Village People continued performing
>     with various line-ups.
> 
>     In 2012, he won a landmark legal battle over the rights to hit
>     tracks including "Y.M.C.A" and "In The Navy", being awarded a
>     33 per cent share of the credits, before this was upped to 50
>     per cent, three years later.
> 
>     In 2017, Willis rejoined Village People and hit the road again,
>     with the band bringing their high-energy, disco sets to festivals
>     and Pride events worldwide.

Is it correct to say that he rejoined the group,
or that he formed a new group once he'd secured 
rights to the name?
I believe the lineup he left bore little resemblance
to the one he performed with lately.
 
>     In recent years, Village People have also found themselves a
>     somewhat unexpected fan: Donald Trump.
> 
>     The US president began using their music at his rallies in 2020
>     and while Willis initially requested that he stop doing so,
>     the group later changed their tune and even performed a
>     pre-inauguration rally when Trump secured his second White
>     House term last year.
> 
>     Fans have paid tribute to Willis on social media, with one
>     commenting on Village People's Facebook page: "What a talented
>     and skilled man that gave joy to millions all over the world.
>     Victor wrote many hits that over the years turned into anthems."
> 
>     "So sorry to hear this!" wrote another. "Victor was a sweet,
>     talented man!"

The young men are gonna feel down?
 
>     Willis is survived by his wife, Karen Huff-Willis.
> 

-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

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Victor Willis, Village Person Mark Shaw <mshaw@panix.com> - 2026-07-03 04:33 +0000
  Re: Victor Willis, Village Person Louis Epstein <le@lekno.ws> - 2026-07-03 18:27 +0000
  Re: Victor Willis, Village Person David Carson <davidc@wa-wd.com> - 2026-07-03 15:47 -0500
    Re: Victor Willis, Village Person Louis Epstein <le@lekno.ws> - 2026-07-04 14:30 +0000

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