The Village People Henri Belolo Dies

Henri Belolo, French music producer and songwriter just recently passed away on Aug. 3. Known for his influence during the disco era, he started his career as a club DJ and A&R man. You may recognize the famous Y.M.C.A singing group the Village People, which he created with his friend, composer Jacques Morali. Unlike Morali, Belolo was not gay, but visited clubs with Morali and saw the potential of appealing to the gay nightclub scene. In 1978, they set up the group Village People, seeing their image of gay stereotypes as a way to embody a certain partying spirit. Beloli became a strong ally for his partner Morali, who was gay and passed away from AIDs complications in 1991.