Founding VILLAGE PEOPLE singer Victor Willis died on Tuesday of unspecified causes at the age of 74.
“We are profoundly sad to announce the death of Victor Willis,” the group wrote on social media early Wednesday, noting that the singer died after “a short but aggressive illness.”
Willis, who had previously starred in the original Broadway production of The Wiz, teamed up with producers Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo to form the VILLAGE PEOPLE in 1977.
The rest of the vocal group wasn’t put together until after the recording of their second album, 1978’s Macho Man. The band became famous for their costumes, with Willis typically dressing as a police officer – complete with a motorcycle helmet.
Willis co-wrote most of the VILLAGE PEOPLE‘s biggest hits, including ‘In the Navy,’ ‘Go West’ and ‘Y.M.C.A.,’ which hit No. 2 on the Billboard charts. He left the group in the early ’80s and did not return until 2017, after he had won a long-running legal battle over songwriting credits and royalties.