Village People will perform at Donald Trump's inauguration amid a long-standing feud between frontman Victor Willis and his former bandmates.
The Village People—the band behind one of Trump’s favorite hits, “Y.M.C.A.”—will perform at a pre-inauguration event.
Village People, the American disco group whose hits like "Y.M.C.A" have been staples at Trump rallies, defended their decision to perform during Trump's inauguration.
"Y.M.C.A." is known to be a favorite of Donald Trump's, and its singer plans to be on hand for the president-elect's swearing in.
Now, The Village People will be performing at one of Trump’s inauguration events despite having sent the incoming president a cease-and-desist letter in 2023 and supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign.
The band once rejected Trump. Now they’ve embraced the healing power (and “financial benefits”) of his passion for “Y.M.C.A.”
Village People had previously sent cease-and-desist orders to Donald Trump in a failed attempt to get him to stop playing “Y.M.C.A.” without the group’s permission.
The Village People is an American disco group founded in 1977 by Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and Victor Willis. The group's name is a reference to Greenwich Village, a neighborhood in New York City where many prominent figures and people who identified with the LGBTQIA+ community lived.
A look at the lineup of official inaugural events for the days surrounding Trump's second inauguration as president. It's possible the decision to move Trump's swearing-in indoors to the Capitol Rotunda could further affect the scheduled lineup for the ceremony:
Several other well-known artists are performing at one of the inaugural balls including Rascal Flatts, Gavin DeGraw, Jason Aldean, The Village People and Nelly. Rapper Snoop Dogg performed at a pre-inaugural "Crypto Ball" on Friday night .
The Village People are set to perform 'Y.M.C.A.' at a Trump inauguration event, reversing their previous cease-and-desist order. Lead singer Victor Willis explained their decision as an effort to use music to bring people together during a time of division.