POLITICAL

Village People will perform at Trump's inauguration amid ongoing feud

January, 18, 2025-03:37

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Village People will perform at Trump's inauguration amid ongoing feud:

The Village People, known for their iconic disco hit 'Y.M.C.A.', will be performing at Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday. However, this announcement hides a long-running feud between the band's lead singer and its founding members.

Victor Willis, who portrayed the cop in the group's original lineup, remains at odds with his former bandmates following a decades-old clash that saw him gain ownership and control of the group's name and royalties. Despite this, Willis has announced that the Village People have accepted an invitation from the Trump campaign to perform at the inaugural celebrations.

Notably, Willis will be the only founding member to participate, as former bandmate Felipe Rose, known as the 'Native American', has revealed that there is still bad blood among members of the group's most popular lineup. Rose, who departed the group in 2017, has stated that he has nothing to do with the group's decision to perform at the inauguration.
Public records indicate that he faced significant financial challenges, including over $1 million in debts and federal tax liens. In 2006, he received probation and entered treatment after pleading no contest to charges of drug possession.

The following year, he was arrested for allegedly choking his former girlfriend and threatening her with a knife, although no charges were filed. Willis's path to recovery began with a significant court ruling in 2013, which allowed him to regain the rights to 33 songs he claims to have written, such as Y.M.C.A. and In the Navy.

In 2017, he negotiated a deal with Can't Stop, granting him exclusive rights to the Village People name. As a result, the other original members were prohibited from performing as the group, despite their long history of doing so. Since that time, amid internal conflicts, Willis has taken to the stage with a changing lineup of performers as the Village People.