Victor Edward Willis (born July 1 1951 in Dallas, United States) grew up singing gospel in his father’s Baptist church before moving into jazz and soul. In 1976 he joined the Negro Ensemble Company and appeared in the Broadway production of The Wiz. Victor Willis’s breakthrough came in 1977 when French disco producer Jacques Morali recruited him as the lead voice of the newly formed Village People; he co‑wrote the group’s first chart‑topping singles, including "San Francisco (You've Got Me)", "Y.M.C.A.", "In the Navy" and "Go West". He left the group in 1980 to write for the film Can’t Stop the Music, returned in 1982 for Fox on the Box and departed again in 1983. After refusing to perform earlier hits, Victor Willis released the long‑delayed solo album Solo Man in 2015. A 2012 court ruling and a 2015 jury decision granted him significant ownership of Village People songs, and in 2017 he resumed performing with the group, issuing new material in 2018 and the 2022 single "Magic Christmas" that reached number 23 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Victor Willis died on June 30 2026 at age 74.