Farewell to Victor Willis, frontman of the Village People . The band announced the news in a Facebook post explaining that the singer died "on Tuesday following a brief but aggressive illness."

Born on July 1, 1951, in Dallas, Willis grew up singing gospel music in the Baptist church in San Francisco where his father was a preacher . He was central to the group's formation in 1977 and co-wrote some of the band's biggest hits, such as "Macho Man," "YMCA," and "Go West." He left the group in 1980, only to rejoin in 2017 as its new frontman.

"He was a wonderful, cheerful man who really appreciated me using his band's song, 'YMCA,' at my rallies ," Donald Trump remembered on Truth. "The song has become a monster hit, once again, 30 years after its original release. Many singers and bands wanted to attend the rallies after all the attendance records had been set—the crowds were, and are, enormous—but Victor and the band were there for us from the very beginning." "They loved the atmosphere at the rallies," Trump added, "and we loved them and their fantastic, rousing song. We will think of Victor every time 'YMCA' is played, like today, and throughout this Fourth of July week. My condolences to his wonderful family and his band: Victor Willis will be greatly missed, God bless him."

(Unioneonline)