The Village People aren’t best pleased with their recent Grammy Hall of Fame induction, according to a new interview.
The Recording Academy have been under fire from many famous stars over the past few months, most notably The Weeknd, but The Village People being angry with them is the icing on the cake.
Their iconic song ‘YMCA’ was inducted into the Hall of Fame in December, alongside esteemed company like A Tribe Called Quest.
In a new interview with TMZ though, the legendary disco group’s leader (and cop) Victor Willis voiced his annoyance with the Grammys. And unlike The Weeknd, who was annoyed that his latest album wasn’t recognised, Willis took issue with older music not being given its proper due.
Willis said that he was offended at how little fanfare those inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame were given. There was no mention of it during the annual telecast and no proper induction ceremony.
He also revealed that he told interim Grammy president Harvey Mason Jr. that the group were rejecting their induction. Although this be a moot gesture, given that the Village People have seemingly already been inducted, it’s a bold rebuttal nonetheless.
Willis insisted that the Hall of Fame “is not taken seriously by the Recording Academy” and that the Grammys should “show respect for classic artists who built the recording business.”
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And while this all has big Boomer energy, Willis certainly has a point. The sour Willis also said that the group’s new album (this would be their first since all the way back in 1985), which is slated for release later this year, won’t even be submitted for contention at the next Grammys. You’ve got to admire that bitterness, you really do.
Still, the Village People can take solace in the fact that the U.S. Library of Congress added ‘YMCA’ to the National Recording Registry in 2020, which preserves audio recordings considered to be “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” That seems a tiny bit more prestigious than the Grammys. A tiny bit.
Check out ‘YMCA’ by Village People:
