Victor Edward Willis (born on July 1, 1951 in Dallas, Texas) is a singer, songwriter, actor; and original lead singer of the disco group Village People. He was also the original straight member of the group. His persona was the "Cop" and "Naval Officer." His powerful R&B vocals defined the sound of the Village People and remains one of the most recognizable voices from the disco era. The son of a Baptist preacher, his singing skills were developed in the church. In 1976 he was cast in the original broadway production of ""The Wiz" and subsequently, the Australian production. is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dallas redirects here. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Disco is a genre of dance-oriented pop music that blends elements of funk and soul music that was first popularized in dance clubs (discothèques) in the mid-1970s. ... Funk is an African American musical style. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... A singer is a musician who uses their voice to produce music. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Piano, a well-known instance of keyboard instruments A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about Casablanca, the record label. ... Kama Sutra Records was started in 1964 by Arthur Artie Ripp, Hy Mizrahi and Phil Steinberg as Kama Sutra Productions, a production house. ... Village People is a concept disco group formed in the late 1970s. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dallas redirects here. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Village People is a concept disco group formed in the late 1970s. ... This article is about the stage musical. ...

It was during one of his performances that disco producers, Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo, discovered the young man with the "big voice." Morali and Belolo were so impressed they developed a group concept around his vocals. The group which would eventually be called "Village People", was formed well after Jacques Morali had already taken Victor Willis into the studio and fully recorded the would-be-group's first album with use of professional background singers (not Village People members). The first album contained the hits "San Francisco", "In Hollywood", and "Village People." Jacques Morali was a disco composer. ... Henri Belolo is a French music producer, very successful during the disco era. ... Village People is the title track of the first album Village People by the Village People. ...

The group quickly rose to the top with Victor at the helm scoring hit after hit such as "Y.M.C.A,” "In The Navy", and "Go West", etc. Willis also wrote lyrics to all the group's major hits. In the middle of preparations for the disco movie bomb Can't Stop The Music, Victor Willis hastily exited the group. After he left however, the hits hastily stopped too. In an attempt to "recapture the magic", Morali and Belolo convinced Victor to return to the group for the 1982 album Fox On The Box. In 1984, Victor Willis left the group for good. Can't Stop The Music remains one of the biggest Hollywood movie flops of all times. Y.M.C.A. is a 1978 song by the Village People which became a hit in January, 1979. ... See In The Navy (film) for the 1941 Abbott & Costello film. ... Go West is a song by the 1970s disco group Village People. ...

Reportedly, Willis recently admitted that his struggles with substance abuse was at the core of his problems with the law which have included numerous arrests related to drug abuse. In his first statement to the press in over 25 years, he said "the nightmare of drug abuse is being lifted from my life... now that the haze of drugs are gone, I'm thinking and seeing clearer now than I have in years... I'm looking forward to living the second part of my life drug free."

Since exiting the Village People, Victor Willis has declined offers to record and perform live shows, essentially declining to sing any of his Village People hits and in doing so becoming an enigma in the eyes of millions of Village People fans and source of worldwide fascination and attention as the press continues to follow his every step, and missteps, since leaving the Village People. According to recent reports, though he's not publicly performed in years, the reclusive star remains the “wealthiest of all the Village People members due to lucrative royalties he still receives” from his writing credits to hits like "Y.M.C.A.", "In The Navy", and numerous other hits.

The star recently stated he may return to the stage in 2007 after the release of a book based on his life and days as lead singer of the Village People. Reportedly, the book also deals with the excesses of the disco era.

On September 5, 2006, Victor Willis was ordered released from custody and into the Betty Ford Center. He was given 3 years probation and ordered to abstain from further use of drugs, which he agreed. The sentence was part of a plea bargain deal struck in July of 2006. This officially resolved all of Victor's legal troubles, as long as he does not violate the terms of his probation. And with legal troubles behind him, there's a clear path for his most anticipated return to the stage, some suggest as early as the summer of 2007.

Victor's long-anticipated return to the concert stage happens in Las Vegas on August 31, 2007. For the first time in 28 years, Victor will perform his classic Village People hits. An international concert tour, to coincide with the release of his autobiography, begins in 2008.

Trivia

• He is the former husband (1978-1980) of Phylicia Ayers-Allen, better known as Phylicia Rashad, who played Clair Huxtable on the The Cosby Show. He obtained a record deal for his then wife resulting in an album titled, Josephine Superstar. The lyrics were written by Victor Willis, including "Saint Louis", a long beloved disco classic in the spirit of "San Francisco".

• He wrote "Milk Shake", and "Magic Night", from the Hollywood motion picture bomb, Can’t Stop The Music.

• Victor Willis wrote songs for both The Ritchie Family and European disco star Patrick Juvet for whom he wrote, "I love America, "Swiss Kiss," "Lady Night," and "Viva California," to name a few.

In a Mothers Day survey, Rashads character on The Cosby Show, Claire Huxtable, was named, TV mom closest to your own mom in spirit. ... Clair Huxtable is a character from The Cosby Show. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... The Ritchie Family - photograph originally used for their Arabian Nights album in 1976 The Ritchie Family was the name of an American vocal group who achieved several hits during the 1970s disco era. ... Patrick Juvet (born August 21, 1950, in Montreux, Switzerland) is a former model turned singer-songwriter, with a string of hit records in France. ...

References

• http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/06/BAGD7L01CN1.DTL&hw=Victor+Willis&sn=001&sc=1000
• http://www.victorwillisworld.com
• http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/qws/ff/qr?term=victor+willis+&Submit=S&st=s
• http://www.smdailyjournal.com/
• http://www.insidebayarea.com/search?sortBy=mngi&similarTo=&similarType=find&runSearch=true&type=any&query=victor+willis+

External links

• Official Victor Willis Website