Village People
Village People is an American disco group known for its on-stage costumes and suggestive lyrics in their music. The group was originally formed by French producers Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis[1] following the release of the debut album Village People, which targeted disco's large gay audience. The group's name refers to Manhattan's Greenwich Village, with its reputation as a gay village.[2] The characters were a symbolic group of American masculinity[3] and macho gay-fantasy personas.[4] To date, Willis is the only original member still remaining with the group.[5]
Village People
Greenwich Village, New York City, US
1977–present
- Victor Willis
- James Kwong
- Jeffrey James Lippold
- James Lee
- Dave Forrest
- Lee Mouton
- Peter Whitehead
- Miles Jaye
- Ray Stephens
- Mark Lee
- Randy Jones
- Glenn Hughes
- G. Jeff Olson
- David Hodo
- Felipe Rose
- Alex Briley
- Ray Simpson
- Eric Anzalone
- Bill Whitefield
- Jim Newman
- Sonny Earl
- Angel Morales
- Chad Freeman
The group quickly became popular and moved into the mainstream, scoring several disco and dance hits internationally, including the hit singles "Macho Man," "In the Navy," "Go West," and "Y.M.C.A.," which was their biggest hit. In March 2020, the Library of Congress described "Y.M.C.A." as "an American phenomenon,"[6] and added the song to the National Recording Registry, which preserves audio recordings considered to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."[7]
Controversy[edit]
Soviet ban[edit]
The songs that were performed by the group were not heard in the Soviet Union, due to it being ideologically harmful. This list categorized the Village People's music as "violent," which most likely refers to a misinterpretation of their costumed performances rather than the lyrical content.[51]
