It’s fun to stay at the YMCA, and it’s fun to stay at the Palace Theatre this Valentine’s Day to see the Village People Live.
The Village People will be doing a concert to raise money for cancer research and awareness.
“We have pretty much a set show and we’ll pull new songs … but we couldn’t really do a show without those hits,” said Ray Simpson, lead singer of the Village People, better known as “The Cop.”
The group will appeal to those who grew up in the disco era as well as the younger generation who often hear “Y.M.C.A.” played at weddings and school dances.
“It’s been a long haul because the group started in ‘77 and we’ve been pretty much nonstop working for 35 years,” Simpson said.
They received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2008 and have continued playing classics as well as creating new work for their fans. The group has three original members remaining, and three new members have been added over the years. Simpson joined the group in 1979 and has been lead singer since.
One of the group’s most recognizable features is still their attire, which concert-goers often imitate. According to the official Village People Web site, the idea was to “put together a group of Village icons from various American social groups.”
These icons are a Native American, soldier, cop, construction worker, biker and cowboy.
There is not a sailor character. There is a popular myth that a sailor is part of the Village People, but this is not the case.
Nonetheless, almost everyone can hum the tune to “Macho Man,” regardless of age.
“I know their music well and I saw them several times in Las Vegas … I was a fan of the village people, their art, their presentation, their popularity,” said Alfred Battle, owner of Battle Plan Production Company.
Battle Plan, along with Fame Productions, had entertainment for their event, but still needed a worthy cause to benefit. “The one that kept coming up unanimous[ly] was cancer because all of us has someone that has been touched with cancer,” Battle said.
Proceeds from the concert will go to the Stefanie Speilman Fund for Breast Cancer Research and the “Dollars Allocated to Assist” program that provides financial assistance to cancer patients.
“This particular charity is very important … My mother passed of cancer, so it’s very near and dear to me,” Simpson said.
“We have invested a lot in it, and we hope that they make some breakthroughs because it’s such an ongoing thing for so many families,” he continued. “We just hope that it can be eradicated — yesterday, actually.”
The Palace Theatre will open its doors to the public at 7 p.m. for the “Village of Hope” concert. Ticket information can be found at battleplanpromotions.com.
