Trump Honors Village People Singer Victor Willis After His Death

By Lucretia Hughes | Real News

Victor Willis, the founding lead singer of the Village People and the voice behind “Y.M.C.A.,” has died at 74.

Willis died Tuesday after what his family described as a “short, but aggressive illness.” He was one day away from his 75th birthday.

President Donald Trump paid tribute to Willis, saying the singer loved that “Y.M.C.A.” became a rally favorite and a “monster” hit all over again. Trump said Americans would think of Willis every time the song is played.

Willis helped write and perform some of the most recognizable songs of the disco era, including “Y.M.C.A.,” “Macho Man” and “In the Navy.”

For years, “Y.M.C.A.” was known as a party anthem. Then Trump brought it back into the national spotlight at his rallies, where thousands of Americans danced, sang and made it part of the movement’s soundtrack.

That is what made Willis’ story so unique. His music crossed generations, crossed politics and found new life decades after it first hit the charts.

The left can argue all day about Trump using the song, but the truth is simple: Americans loved it. The rallies loved it. And Victor Willis’ voice became part of a moment in American political history.

Willis leaves behind a legacy bigger than one song. He helped create music that made people smile, move and remember where they were when they heard it.

God bless Victor Willis and his family. He will be remembered every time “Y.M.C.A.” plays.