Village people policeman

By Patrick Crooks June 7,

The Village People's original policeman does not want anybody to think he is still in the band. The group's former lead singer, Victor Willis, is suing the present incarnation of the group — alleging that they have used his image and voice without permission. The year-old left the Village People in He was arrested for drug possession in but avoided a prison sentence by entering rehab. Willis returned to the stage in , playing a series of comeback gigs, but postponed a world tour after surgery on his vocal chords. The Village People formed in and have since sold more than 80m albums and singles.

Village people policeman

It was a triumphant, emotionally charged homecoming for Willis, who had won a court battle for control of the Village People name. After it became a modest hit, they scrambled to form a group around him. It had nothing to do with their sexual orientation. It lasted 18 months. Willis was replaced by Ray Simpson, who had provided backing vocals for the group. His departure coincided with the downturn in disco, but even as the Village People initially struggled, Willis would watch them and think: That should be me up there. The Village People, once post-disco has beens, became beloved mascots of retro camp. They received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in , as Willis watched from the crowd. U2 paid homage to them in a music video. They opened for Cher. In , Willis prevailed in his long-running federal lawsuit. The victory sparked talk that he might reunite the Village People, but as far as Willis was concerned, his reunion with the official Village People name was the only one that mattered.

More in Things To Do.

Village People are an American disco group known for its on-stage costumes and suggestive lyrics in their music. The group was originally formed by French producers Jacques Morali , Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis [1] following the release of the debut album Village People , which targeted disco's large gay audience. The group's name refers to Manhattan 's Greenwich Village , with its reputation as a gay neighborhood. The group quickly became popular and moved into the mainstream, scoring several disco and dance hits internationally, including the hit singles " Macho Man ," " In the Navy ," " Go West ," and " Y. In March , the Library of Congress described "Y. French musical composer and producer Jacques Morali and his business partner Henri Belolo , known collectively as Can't Stop Productions, were enjoying a successful string of hits in France and Europe. In , they moved to New York City to attempt to break into the American market.

It was a triumphant, emotionally charged homecoming for Willis, who had won a court battle for control of the Village People name. After it became a modest hit, they scrambled to form a group around him. It had nothing to do with their sexual orientation. It lasted 18 months. Willis was replaced by Ray Simpson, who had provided backing vocals for the group. His departure coincided with the downturn in disco, but even as the Village People initially struggled, Willis would watch them and think: That should be me up there. The Village People, once post-disco has beens, became beloved mascots of retro camp.

Village people policeman

And we are not cool with that at all. In fact, I spent years working with him developing a movie solely about his leadership and brilliance in the creation of the Village People and his undeniable place in music history. Nigel Lythgoe looks back on disastrous disco movie 'The Apple': 'A very, very strange atmosphere throughout'.

How much us dollars is 100 canadian dollars

The ugliness and unrest of 's Disco Demolition Night. Willis returned to the stage in , playing a series of comeback gigs, but postponed a world tour after surgery on his vocal chords. Retrieved July 12, In fact, I spent years working with him developing a movie solely about his leadership and brilliance in the creation of the Village People and his undeniable place in music history. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Numerous covers and homages of their songs have been recorded. Categories : births Living people Village People members Singers from Dallas African-American male singer-songwriters American soul keyboardists Record producers from Texas American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters American soul singers Male actors from Dallas American male stage actors African-American male dancers American male dancers American session musicians African-American male actors Singer-songwriters from Texas 20th-century African-American male singers 20th-century American singers. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Village People. Retrieved July 12, The former lead singer of the camp disco group proves he's really a Macho Man by suing the band's current lineup for using his image without permission. The s brought a resurgence for the Village People. At the end of , Jeff Olson joined the group as the cowboy.

If you haven't thought about the disco group in a while, we can't blame you.

Read full article. In November Casey of K. Besides the Village People's current representatives, Willis is also suing several venues where the band have performed, according to the BBC. The album's title track catapulted the group into the mainstream, and their single " Y. The Guardian. Fleet customers went nuts, too. As for all the straights who think 'Y. Retrieved September 22, In May , Willis won a landmark ruling in the first case heard regarding the Copyright Act of , which allows recording artists and writers to reclaim their master recordings and publishing rights initially granted to record companies and publishers after 35 years. Show Caption. Retrieved September 1, The ugliness and unrest of 's Disco Demolition Night. The Village People, once post-disco has beens, became beloved mascots of retro camp. Retrieved October 3,