The First Village Person
Felipe Rose was the first Village Person. He was actually a dancer who worked at a gay club called Anvil, in Greenwich Village, New York. He was on his way to work when Morali noticed him. He was in full costume, which fascinated Morali, so he shamelessly followed him and started asking him questions.
Photo by ITV / Shutterstock
Morali and his business partner, Henri Belolo, came out with the idea for Village People that night, with Rose in mind to play the Indian. He held onto the role until 2017 when Willis took over the group. In order to populate this village, Morali put ads in music trade magazines, which said: “Macho Types Wanted: Must Dance and Have a Mustache.”