Village People
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On Monday, Village People, the ’70s disco band known for hits like “Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man,” announced on its official Facebook page that it would be performing at “various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J. Trump.”
“We know this wont make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics,” the group’s post read. “Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost.”
The official website for the Inaugural-Eve Ball, which is set to take place on January 19, features a photo of the group under a banner that says “Confirmed Performances.”
The inaugural committee later confirmed the Village People would be performing at the Victory Rally on Sunday and the Liberty Inaugural Ball, one of three official inaugural balls, on Monday night.
The band’s decision to perform at the inauguration events is a reversal of its stance from two years ago.
In 2023, the band’s manager sent a cease-and-desist letter to Trump’s lawyer, requesting that Trump stop using Village People’s music and likeness at his events, following an “unauthorized” performance by a cover band at Mar-a-Lago.
“The performance has, and continues to cause, public confusion as to why Village People would even engage in such a performance,” Karen Willis, the band’s manager and wife of lead singer Victor Willis, wrote in the letter. “We did not.”
A representative for Village People did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI outside regular hours.
