Village People tragedies from 9/11 'Falling Man' to killer diseases and drugs

The set volition beryllium performing astatine the President Elect Trump’s inauguration ceremony

The Village People are famed for their 1978 deed Y.M.C.A - and they've besides formed an unexpected relationship with Donald Trump.

The band's opus became a staple astatine Trump's predetermination rallies, and inspired the incoming US president's notorious 'Trump Dance'. And contiguous they're acceptable to execute astatine the erstwhile Apprentice star's inauguration.

The opus was archetypal blasted retired astatine anti-lockdown rallies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of the protesters switched the letters YMCA to MAGA - ( Make America Great Again ) slogan heavy popularised by Trump.

While initially unhappy with Trump's use, Village People frontman Victor Willis' absorption has thawed somewhat. This week, Victor - who is the lone archetypal subordinate of the existent set - said: " Trump's usage of Y.M.C.A. has greatly benefited the song. For example, erstwhile Trump started utilizing 'Y.M.C.A' the opus changeable backmost up to #2 connected Billboard's integer chart."

The resurgence of popularity successful the seventies set has besides led to renewed interest. Founded successful 1977 amid New York's thriving, underground cheery nine scene, the set comprised chiefly of archetypal masculine characters with costumes to match.

Victor was the policeman, Felipe Rose dressed arsenic a Native American, David Hodo was the operation worker, Randy Jones the cowboy, Glenn Hughes the leather clad biker and the 'sailor' was Alex Briley. Here, The Mirror takes a look astatine what happened to the archetypal stars successful the years since they archetypal topped the charts...

Drug addiction and tribunal battles

Along with group's architects Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo, Victor wrote much than a twelve Village People songs, including "In the Navy," "Go West," and "Y.M.C.A." As such, helium owned one-third of the copyrights (and its ensuing royalties) connected those songs for years. Victor near the set successful 1979 and struggled with cause addiction.

He entered rehab successful 2006 and upon leaving, told the press: "The nightmare of cause maltreatment is being lifted from my life... present that the haze of drugs are gone, I'm reasoning and seeing clearer present than I person successful years... I'm looking guardant to surviving the 2nd portion of my beingness drug-free."

In 2011 the ex frontman sued to get 50 percent credit, alleging that the copyright deals he'd signed backmost successful the 1970s were legally suspect. He won his tribunal conflict 2015, striking songwriter and shaper Henri Belolo's sanction from the credits of respective Village People's astir well-known and profitable songs.

In 2017, helium won another lawsuit with his erstwhile radical - the courts granted the vocalist the rights to the sanction of the set that he'd near decades earlier. "I got backmost thing that belonged to me," Victor told the Chicago Tribune. At that time, a mentation of the radical was inactive occasionally playing gigs astir the world, but erstwhile Willis took charge, helium enactment a halt to that. He fired each idiosyncratic then-singing successful the Village People, including archetypal radical subordinate Felipe Rose.

Tragic 9/11 death

Alex Briley's younger brother, Jonathan, was an worker astatine Windows connected the World connected the 106th level of the North Tower of the World Trade Center and died successful the violent attacks of September 11, 2001.

There were galore shocking images of the lawsuit including a antheral falling to his decease from the building. The photo, known arsenic "Falling Man," was published by galore quality outlets and became a portion of the taste cloth arsenic the satellite processed the events of 9/11. The individuality of the taxable was hard to ascertain, and successful 2016, Esquire writer Tom Junod claimed it was Jonathan.

Lung cancer

Glenn Hughes was possibly the astir iconic of the Village People characters - with his biker leathers and immense moustache. Village People mastermind Jacques Morali based the quality connected patrons of a New York leather barroom and enactment nine called the Mineshaft, which Hughes frequented. Glenn remained with the Village People performing arsenic the biker until 1996,

He past went solo arsenic a cabaret enactment but sadly passed distant astatine his location successful Manhattan aged 50 aft being diagnosed with lung cancer.

AIDS devastation

French-Moroccan songwriter and shaper Jaques Morali moved to the United States successful the aboriginal 1970s to marque it successful the euphony business, and and soon aft helium scored a deed with "Brazil" by The Ritchie Family, a radical helium helped assemble.

He saw Felipe Rose dancing successful accepted Native American covering astatine a New York nine and decided to signifier a radical astir him, placing paper ads seeking "gay singers and dancers, precise good-looking and with mustaches."

He wrote and produced songs laced with cheery issues that millions of listeners astatine the clip didn't adjacent notice.

Speaking to Red Bull Music Academy', Jacques' originative spouse Henri Belolo said: We were keen of doing thing for [LGBT culture] due to the fact that Jacques was gay, and I was feeling that an injustice was done to the cheery community."

The HIV and AIDS situation deed the satellite successful the precocious 70x and 80s. Jacques succumbed to the illness successful 1991 aged conscionable 44.