History of Village People in Timeline
Village People is an American disco group created by French producers Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo, along with lead singer Victor Willis. The group gained popularity for their on-stage costumes depicting stereotypical masculine archetypes and suggestive lyrics, intentionally targeting disco's gay audience. Their name references Manhattan's Greenwich Village, known for its gay culture. As of January 2020, Willis is the sole original member remaining.
1976: Copyright Act of 1976
The Copyright Act of 1976 allowed Victor Willis to reclaim copyrights to songs, including "Y.M.C.A.", in May 2012.
1977: Move to New York City and Debut Album
In 1977, Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo moved to New York City to break into the American market and hired Victor Willis to sing on the debut album Village People.
1977: Cover of "Going Back to My Roots"
In 2018, Rose covered the 1977 Odyssey dance hit "Going Back to My Roots".
1978: Willis takes over writing duties
In 1978, Victor Willis took over writing duties for the Village People and wrote the lyrics for the group's biggest hits.
1978: Robert Christgau warmed to their music after listening to the 1978 album Cruisin'
In 1978, Village Voice critic Robert Christgau warmed to their music after listening to the 1978 album Cruisin'.
April 19, 1979: Rolling Stone Cover
On April 19, 1979, the Village People were featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, Vol. 289.
August 1979: Victor Willis Leaves the Group
In August 1979, Victor Willis left the Village People during the production of the movie "Can't Stop The Music" and was replaced by Ray Simpson.
1979: Navy Collaboration for "In the Navy"
In 1979, the United States Navy considered using the Village People's single "In the Navy" in a recruiting campaign, providing access to a Navy base and resources to film a music video for the song.
1979: Solo Album Recorded
Victor Willis recorded the album "Solo Man", featuring the Village People band, in 1979, but the album was released in 2015.
June 1980: Release of "Can't Stop the Music" film
In June 1980, the film "Can't Stop the Music," starring Steve Guttenberg and Caitlyn Jenner, was released, but it was a box office failure.
November 22, 1980: Appearance on The Love Boat
On November 22, 1980, the Village People appeared on an episode of "The Love Boat".
1981: Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies Review
In 1981, Robert Christgau writes in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies about Village People's music.
1981: Re-branding and Release of "Renaissance"
In 1981, the Village People rebranded with a New Romantic look and released the album "Renaissance" amidst new wave music gaining popularity.
1981: Willis rejoins the group
In late 1981, Victor Willis rejoined the group for the writing and recording of the album Fox on the Box.
1982: Hodo and Simpson Leave the Group
In 1982, David Hodo and Ray Simpson left the Village People, and were replaced by Mark Lee and Miles Jaye respectively.
1983: Release of "In the Street" in the US
In 1983, the album Fox on the Box, previously released in Europe and Japan, was released in the United States under the title "In the Street".
1984: Background Vocals on Lorna Luft's Disco Version
In 1984, the Village People sang background vocals on a disco version of "Where The Boys Are" by Lorna Luft.
1985: Village People Blacklisted in Soviet Union
In 1985, Village People were included on a secret blacklist of artists and songs distributed by the Soviet Communist Party's youth wing, deeming their music as ideologically harmful and categorizing it as "violent".
1985: Release of "Sex Over the Phone"
In 1985, the Village People released the dance/Hi-NRG album "Sex Over the Phone," which was controversial due to its title track being banned by the BBC.
1987: Sixuvus Ltd Formed
In 1987, Sixuvus Ltd was created with the license to use the name Village People and its characters in use until 2017.
1987: Band Returns and Forms Sixuvus Ltd
In 1987, the Village People returned with a specific lineup and formed Sixuvus Ltd to manage the group's affairs and license the Village People name and characters.
September 22, 1991: Performance at the New South Wales Rugby League Grand Final
On September 22, 1991, the Village People performed in front of 41,815 people in Sydney, Australia, as part of the pre-game entertainment for the New South Wales Rugby League Grand Final.
November 15, 1991: Death of Jacques Morali
On November 15, 1991, Jacques Morali, founder of the Village People, died in Paris due to complications related to AIDS.
1991: Village People mentioned in City Slickers
In 1991, Village People received a mention in the comedy film City Slickers, highlighting their cultural impact.
1993: Village People parodied in Wayne's World 2 and Married... with Children
In 1993, Village People were parodied in a scene in the film Wayne's World 2, and in an episode of Married... with Children.
1995: Eric Anzalone replaces Glenn Hughes
In 1995, Eric Anzalone replaced Glenn Hughes as the Leatherman/Biker in the Village People and debuted in the film Down Periscope.
1996: "In The Navy" Performed in Down Periscope
In 1996, the song "In The Navy" by Village People was performed in the comedy film Down Periscope.
1997: Village People Homage in U2's "Discothèque" video
In 1997, U2's single "Discothèque" music video paid homage to the Village People.
1999: "America" Added to Remaster of "In The Street"
In 1999, the single "America" was added as an extra track to the remaster of "In the Street."
2000: Release of "Gunbalanya"
In 2000, Village People released the single "Gunbalanya" under the name "Amazing Veepers".
2000: Village People Parody in 3rd Rock from the Sun episode
In 2000, Village People were parodied in an episode of the TV series 3rd Rock from the Sun.
March 4, 2001: Death of Glenn Hughes
On March 4, 2001, Glenn Hughes, the Leatherman/Biker of the Village People, died of lung cancer in New York City.
April 2005: Village People Opens for Cher
Until April 2005, the Village People performed as the opening act for Cher on her Farewell Tour.
August 3, 2007: Victor Willis' First Concert in 28 Years
On August 3, 2007, Victor Willis gave his first live concert in 28 years in Las Vegas.
September 12, 2008: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
On September 12, 2008, the Village People received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
May 2012: Willis Wins Copyright Case
In May 2012, Victor Willis won a landmark ruling regarding the Copyright Act of 1976, allowing him to reclaim copyrights to songs including "Y.M.C.A.".
August 2013: Release of "Let's Go Back to the Dance Floor"
In August 2013, the Village People released a new song, "Let's Go Back to the Dance Floor", written by Harry W. Casey of K.C. and the Sunshine Band.
October 2013: Bill Whitefield Joins as Construction Worker
In October 2013, Bill Whitefield officially joined the Village People as the Construction Worker.
2013: Village People Parody in Despicable Me 2
In 2013, Village People were parodied in the animated film Despicable Me 2.
2015: Victor Willis Releases Solo Album
In 2015, Victor Willis released "Solo Man", an album he recorded in 1979 featuring the Village People band.
2016: Television Appearances and Commercials
In 2016, the Village People made television appearances and appeared in commercials, including a LetGo commercial during the Summer Olympics.
2017: Settlement and Trademark Litigation
In 2017, Victor Willis and Can't Stop Productions settled their differences, leading to Willis obtaining the license to use the name and characters of Village People, while Sixuvus Ltd's license was terminated.
2017: Sixuvus Ltd. License Expires
In 2017, the Village People's management group, Sixuvus Ltd, had its license to use the name Village People and its characters expire.
November 2018: Release of "A Village People Christmas"
In November 2018, the Village People released their first studio album in 33 years, "A Village People Christmas".
2018: Release of "A Village People Christmas"
In 2018, Village People released their first album of new material in 33 years titled "A Village People Christmas".
2018: Trademark Ruling and Rose's Solo Career
In 2018, a US District Court ruled that only Willis's group was entitled to use the Village People trademark, and original member Rose launched his solo career.
August 3, 2019: Death of Henri Belolo
On August 3, 2019, Village People co-creator Henri Belolo died at the age of 82.
November 4, 2019: Re-release of Christmas Album
On November 4, 2019, the group's Christmas album was re-released as Magical Christmas and included two additional tracks.
December 21, 2019: Release of "Happiest Time of the Year"
On December 21, 2019, the Village People released its first Christmas single, "Happiest Time of the Year".
January 2020: Only original member
As of January 2020, Victor Willis is the only original member remaining in the Village People.
March 2020: "Y.M.C.A." added to the National Recording Registry
In March 2020, the Library of Congress added "Y.M.C.A." to the National Recording Registry, recognizing it as an "American phenomenon" and preserving it for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.
April 21, 2020: Village People release "If You Believe"
On April 21, 2020, Village People released their new single, "If You Believe", which became their first Top 25 hit in 40 years, reaching No. 25 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.
April 2021: Death of Mark Lee
In April 2021, Mark Lee, who was the "construction worker" in Village People between 1982 and 1985, passed away.
November 2022: Release of "Magic Christmas"
In November 2022, Village People released "Magic Christmas," the third single from their Magical Christmas album, which became their highest-charting single on the Billboard a/c chart, debuting at No. 23.
2024: Victor Willis Claims "YMCA" Is Not a Gay Anthem
At the end of 2024, Village People band member Victor Willis alleged to news media that the group's hit song "YMCA" was not a gay anthem and threatened to sue anyone who disagreed.
2024: Village People's Disco History Explored
In 2024, Episode 3 of the PBS series Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution explores the importance of Village People to the history of disco music.
January 2025: Village People to perform at Turning Point USA inaugural ball
In January 2025, it was announced that Village People would perform at the Turning Point USA inaugural ball to celebrate Donald Trump's second inauguration.
January 19, 2025: Village People perform at Trump rally
On January 19, 2025, Village People performed "Y.M.C.A." at Donald Trump's pre-inauguration rally, titled "Make America Great Again Victory Rally", at the Capital One Arena.
