Victor Willis(I)
- Actor
- Composer
- Writer
The original lead singer of the Village People. Victor Willis was the
driving force behind the group as well as the group's only straight
member. In addition to singing lead, he also wrote such hits as YMCA,
Macho Man, In the Navy, and Go West, etc.
In fact, Village People initially consisted of only Victor Willis who
recorded the group's first album in 1977 with use of professional
background singers. Other group members were quickly assembled after
Willis' first album, under the auspices of Village People, started
climbing the charts. The first album contained the hit "San Francisco."
Willis left the group in 1979 and returned in 1984 for the album "Fox
on the Box." Willis left the group for good in 1985. He was the
original cop and naval officer.
In 1978, he married
Phylicia Rashad,better known as
The Cosby Show (1984)'s Clair
Huxtable. They divorced in 1984. An accomplished Broadway actor, Willis
was in the original Broadway production of The Wiz, and such other
major plays as Hair, River Niger, Three Gentlemen of Verona, and The
Great MacDaddy to name a few. In fact, Victor Willis and Phylicia
Rashad met while they were both cast members of "The Wiz," after which
they soon starting dating and eventually wed.
Willis recently revealed that when he wrote the lyrics to YMCA, it was
definitely not about the gay life style, rather, simply about young
urban black kids hanging-out at the "Y" having fun, or "hanging out
with the boys" there playing basketball, or swimming, etc.
Willis struggled for years with drug abuse after leaving Village People
and has had several drug-related run-in with the law. In 2006 however,
he completed a drug treatment program at the Betty Ford Center,
essentially kicking the habit. He has remained drug-free since that
time and now regularly speaks about the dangers of drug abuse.
Willis returned to the stage in 2007 and is continues to tour aside
from the group. He remains very wealthy due to the writing of such hits
as YMCA and Macho Man. He re-married in 2007. His wife's a lawyer who
also manages his career.
driving force behind the group as well as the group's only straight
member. In addition to singing lead, he also wrote such hits as YMCA,
Macho Man, In the Navy, and Go West, etc.
In fact, Village People initially consisted of only Victor Willis who
recorded the group's first album in 1977 with use of professional
background singers. Other group members were quickly assembled after
Willis' first album, under the auspices of Village People, started
climbing the charts. The first album contained the hit "San Francisco."
Willis left the group in 1979 and returned in 1984 for the album "Fox
on the Box." Willis left the group for good in 1985. He was the
original cop and naval officer.
In 1978, he married
Phylicia Rashad,better known as
The Cosby Show (1984)'s Clair
Huxtable. They divorced in 1984. An accomplished Broadway actor, Willis
was in the original Broadway production of The Wiz, and such other
major plays as Hair, River Niger, Three Gentlemen of Verona, and The
Great MacDaddy to name a few. In fact, Victor Willis and Phylicia
Rashad met while they were both cast members of "The Wiz," after which
they soon starting dating and eventually wed.
Willis recently revealed that when he wrote the lyrics to YMCA, it was
definitely not about the gay life style, rather, simply about young
urban black kids hanging-out at the "Y" having fun, or "hanging out
with the boys" there playing basketball, or swimming, etc.
Willis struggled for years with drug abuse after leaving Village People
and has had several drug-related run-in with the law. In 2006 however,
he completed a drug treatment program at the Betty Ford Center,
essentially kicking the habit. He has remained drug-free since that
time and now regularly speaks about the dangers of drug abuse.
Willis returned to the stage in 2007 and is continues to tour aside
from the group. He remains very wealthy due to the writing of such hits
as YMCA and Macho Man. He re-married in 2007. His wife's a lawyer who
also manages his career.