00:00today the front man of perhaps the most colorful and iconic disco group of the 1970s
00:06victor willis who was 74 led the village people with their macho man costumes and huge hits
00:12like ymca go west and in the navy hits which remain popular party anthems to this day
00:19but she'd have the reports
00:27pubs clubs weddings it's tough to find a speaker system that hasn't blasted out the ymca
00:38as the village people's front man victor willis co-wrote some of the 70s biggest songs
00:47the group sold 100 million records and found fame dressed up as hyper-masculine characters
00:52willis switched between a policeman and a naval officer
00:59despite multiple hits ymca was their most well-known number one in 17 countries i mean you wouldn't
01:06have david bowie's let's dance you wouldn't have rick us he's never going to give you a walk
01:09you wouldn't have so many records without ymca it was a record that came out of the blue
01:16we all went ah wait a minute this is a bit different
01:23the american musician first fell in love with singing at his father's california church
01:28he left the village people in 1980 and began a legal battle over securing the copyright to his songs
01:37by the time he returned to the band in 2017 donald trump was using the ymca at political rallies
01:46willis tried to ban the president from playing the track but later changed his mind and last year
01:51took part in the second inauguration this morning trump posted a tribute saying the singer was a great
01:57and happy guy who will be sorely missed victor willis died yesterday after a short illness
02:05remembered by fans as a star who brought energy impact and joy victor willis who has died at the
02:14age of 74
02:18the front man of the 1970s band the village people victor willis has died aged 74 after being diagnosed
02:28with a short but aggressive illness our entertainment reporter rishi dabda looks back on his career
02:42pubs clubs weddings sports stadiums it's tough to think of a speaker system that hasn't blasted the
02:48ymca at some point as front man of the village people victor willis wrote some of the biggest hits
02:58of the 70s the group who've sold more than 100 million records found fame while dressed up as
03:08hyper masculine characters willis switched between a policeman and a naval officer
03:15despite countless hits ymca remained their most famous and reached number one in 17 countries
03:22i mean you wouldn't have david bowie's let's dance you wouldn't have rick us he's never going to give
03:26you what you wouldn't have so many records without ymca it was a record that came out of the blue
03:33we all went ah wait a minute this is a bit different
03:40the american musician left the band in 1980 and began a legal battle over securing the copyright to
03:47his songs by the time he returned to the village people in 2017 donald trump was using the ymca at
03:55political rallies after first trying to ban the u.s president from playing the track he later
04:03changed his mind and last year took part in the second inauguration this morning trump posted a
04:09tribute saying the singer will be sorely missed victor willis died yesterday after a short illness
04:18remembered today by fans as a star who brought energy impact and joy
04:25victor willis who has died at the age of 74
04:32scotland is today the front man of perhaps the most colorful and iconic disco group of the 1970s
04:39victor willis who was 74 led the village people with their macho man costumes and huge hits like
04:46ymca go west and in the navy hits which remain popular party anthems to this day
04:53wish you'd have the reports
04:57it's fun to stay at the ymca pubs clubs weddings it's tough to find a speaker system that hasn't
05:06blasted out the ymca as the village people's front man victor willis co-wrote some of the 70s biggest
05:16the group sold 100 million records and found fame dressed up as hyper masculine characters
05:26willis switched between a policeman and a naval officer
05:32despite multiple hits ymca was their most well-known number one in 17 countries
05:38i mean you wouldn't have david bowie's let's dance you wouldn't have rick us he's never gonna give you
05:43what you wouldn't have so many records without boy mca it was a record that came out of the blue
05:50we all went ah wait a minute this is a bit different
05:57the american musician first fell in love with singing at his father's california church
06:01he left the village people in 1980 and began a legal battle over securing the copyright to his songs
06:10by the time he returned to the band in 2017
06:13donald trump was using the ymca at political rallies
06:19willis tried to ban the president from playing the track but later changed his mind
06:23and last year took part in the second inauguration
06:26this morning trump posted a tribute saying the singer was a great and happy guy who will be sorely missed
06:36victor willis died yesterday after a short illness remembered by fans as a star who brought energy impact and joy
06:46victor willis who has died at the age of 74
06:53the front man of the 1970s band the village people victor willis has died aged 74 after being
07:01diagnosed with a short but aggressive illness our entertainment reporter rishi dabda looks back
07:07on his career
07:11it's fun to stay in the ymca
07:15pubs clubs weddings sports stadiums it's tough to think of a speaker system that hasn't blasted the ymca at some
07:23point
07:28as front man of the village people victor willis wrote some of the biggest hits of the 70s
07:36the group who've sold more than 100 million records found fame while dressed up as hyper masculine
07:42characters willis switched between a policeman and a naval officer
07:49despite countless hits ymca remained their most famous and reached number one in 17 countries
07:56i mean you wouldn't have david bowie's let's dance you wouldn't have rick us he's never going to give you
08:00what you wouldn't have so many records without ymca it was a record that came out of the blue
08:07we all went ah wait a minute this is a bit different
08:14the american musician left the band in 1980 and began a legal battle over securing the copyright to
08:20his songs by the time he returned to the village people in 2017 donald trump was using the ymca at
08:28political rallies
08:32after first trying to ban the u.s president from playing the track he later changed his mind and
08:38last year took part in the second inauguration this morning trump posted a tribute saying the singer will
08:44be sorely missed victor willis died yesterday after a short illness remembered today by fans as a star
08:54who brought energy impact and joy victor willis who has died at the age of 74
09:02fall
09:03now
09:06now
