Glenn Hughes (American singer)
Glenn Hughes |
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Glenn Hughes (July 18, 1950 - March 4, 2001) was the original "Biker" character in the disco group Village People from 1977 to 1996 and one of the group's straight members. He graduated Class of 1968 from Chaminade High School. He was interested in motorcycles, and was working as a toll collector in Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel when he responded to an advertisement by composer Jacques Morali seeking "macho" singers and dancers. Hughes and other members of the band were given a crash course in the synchronized dance choreography that later typified the group's live performances.
His powerful bass voice played an important part in the background lyrics of almost all Village People's most known hits, such as In The Navy. He sported an extravagant handlebar moustache and wore his trademark leather outfit on stage and off. As he was the band's "biker" and a real life fanatic, he kept his motorcycle parked inside his home. With Village People gaining fame, Hughes became one of the icons of the disco era, even appearing in a special television broadcast in Playboy Mansion with Hugh Hefner.
In 1996 he retired from dancing and launched his own successful New York cabaret act, which kept him busy until lung cancer was diagnosed. He was replaced by Eric Anzalone as the Biker character. However, Hughes continued with management of the band. During his later years, he was known for storming the streets of New York with his Custom Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
He died of lung cancer in 2001 and was interred in Saint Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. He stayed unmarried and had no children. Some sources also state that he was buried in his biker costume from the band.
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