They’re known worldwide as The Kings of Disco. They are the recipients of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an American Guild of Variety Artists “Georgie Award,” and the first and only American Music Award for Favorite Disco Band, Duo or Group. They’ve sold over 100 million recordings since their start in 1977, and have appeared on film, television, and even starred in their own semi-autobiographical major feature. They are cultural Icons. They are Village People, and they’re coming to the Prairie Band Casino and Resort this Saturday, July 8th!
I had the pleasure of talking with Felipe Rose, Village People’s longest-running original member and the first member recruited by Morali in 1977, and Bill Whitefield, their newest member, about the group’s history, legacy, recent recordings, and their roles as icons within the LGBT community.
Originally the creation of French musical composer Jacques Morali, Village People rocketed to stardom in the late seventies with hits such as “Macho Man,” “In the Navy,” and “Y.M.C.A.” Village People is truly a one-of-a-kind act that has become synonymous with the disco sound. Their music can be heard in dozens of major motion pictures including Down Periscope, Wayne’s World II, Addams Family Values and In and Out. Their film Can’t Stop the Music continues to be celebrated as a world-wide cult classic. They were also featured in the advertisements for “Trivial Pursuit’s 20th Anniversary Edition,” and were featured as an answer to one of the in-game questions.Their music is played during the seventh inning stretch at major league baseball stadiums and often they entertain sports audiences with live performances following basketball, soccer and hockey games. At the final All-Star Game in the “old” Yankee Stadium, they performed “YMCA” with the groundskeepers.
Recently Village People have been seen in commercials for American Express (with Beyonce and Ellen Degeneres), Wonderful Pistachios and Miracle Whip (with Susan Boyle, Lance Bass and Wynona Judd). Their recent television appearances include The Arsenio Hall Show, Fox’s Wendy Williams Show, NBC’s Singing Bee (with Joey Fatone) and Oprah Winfrey’s Where Are They Now? Past television performances include The Bob Hope Special, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Rosie O’Donnell Show, Oprah, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rocking Eve, Love Boat and Married with Children.
The Village People are: Ray Simpson (Cop); Felipe Rose (Native American); Alex Briley (Military GI); Eric Anzalone (Biker); Bill Whitefield (Construction Worker); and Jim Newman (Cowboy). The group’s often-imitated, iconic image is instantly recognizable around the globe, but when the show is over, and the costumes put away, members of the group experience a rare sort of fame that offers a relative anonymity outside of their onstage personas. Perhaps this is what makes them so charming and down-to-earth, and what binds them together to make Village People seem more like a family than a world famous pop group.
