SerpApi.Org
Willis died June 30 at age 74, his bandmates confirmed one day later
NEED TO KNOW
- The Village People wore their iconic costumes to honor late bandmate Victor Willis at his funeral
- Band members’ outfits reflected their signature personas, including a cowboy, Native American chief, and construction worker
- Victor Willis, the group’s lead singer, passed away at age 74 after a short illness, the band shared on Facebook at the time
Victor Willis’s bandmates paid a special tribute to the late singer at his funeral.
After Willis’s death at 74 on June 30, the remaining band members of the Village People decided to forgo traditional funeral attire — instead arriving in their respective costumes, quintessential to the band’s performances.
The band’s costumes — each a nod to a different hypermasculine archetype —stood in stark contrast to the group’s festive disco tunes, thus capturing the essence of the Village People.
Felipe Rose, also a founding member of the band, wore the traditional attire of a Native American chief. Of American Indigenous descent himself, Rose’s costume — which faced criticism for appropriation and stereotyping of Native American cultures — featured a large red and white feather headdress and traditional beading patterns.
At Willis’s funeral, Rose wore a similar look complete with the cascading headpiece, plus a sleeveless brown top and trousers.
David Hodo was the band’s construction worker, often wearing jeans, a work belt, some sort of button-up and his quintessential hard hat. Though he traded his workwear shirts for a construction vest for Willis’s funeral, he was still instantly recognizable by his bright white helmet.
Known for his “G.I.” attire, Alex Briley historically dressed as a United States soldier, sporting army green and camouflage, combat boots, and a matching cap. For Willis’s funeral, Briley returned to his roots, donning a camo work shirt and matching pants, tucked into his boots, plus an army hat.
As the band’s cowboy, Randy Jones usually got into character with a suede vest, jeans, some heeled cowboy boots and — of course — a cowboy hat to bring it all together. Jones leaned into the look when paying his respects to Willis, adding leather gloves, a neckerchief and a pair of chaps.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Willis had two costumes: the police officer and the admiral, both of which featured crisp, neat uniforms and structured hats. Preceding Willis in death was Glenn Hughes, who was the Village People’s biker or Leatherman, and accordingly dressed head to toe in leather ensembles.
The Village People confirmed Willis’s death on Facebook on July 1, writing that the group’s lead singer died the day prior following a “short but aggressive illness.”
Read the original article on People
