When one hears

the letters Y-M-C and A, it is almost an involuntary reaction to raise

ones arms and create the letters along with them. For this, the world

can thank The Village People. If local citizens would like to thank them

personally, there are still tickets available for this weekend's show

at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City.

The Village

People formed in New York's Greenwich Village in 1977. Producer/Composer

Jacques Morali saw a man, Felipe Rose, dancing in an Indian costume and

came up with an idea to put together a group of other Village icons, which

included a soldier, a cop, a construction worker, a cowboy and a character

known as biker/leatherman. The current touring group includes three original

members Rose, Alexander Briley (soldier) and David Hodo (construction

worker). Raymond Simpson has been the cop since 1980, which is also around

the same time that Jeff Olson (cowboy) joined up. The newest member is

Eric Anzalone (biker) who joined the group in 1995.

Their career

began with the release of the albums Village People and Macho Man in 1977

which featured the hit songs "San Francisco," "In Hollywood

(Everybody is a Star)," and "Fire Island." The song "Macho

Man" was a big hit but it wasn't until 1978 that the group had their

biggest hit, "YMCA." "YMCA" has sold over 12 million

units around the world, including sales of over three million in the United

States. The success of both "Macho Man" and "YMCA"

helped pave the way for the group's foray onto the silver screen.

In 1980 The

Village People starred in "Can't Stop The Music," a film starring

Steve Guttenberg, Bruce Jenner, Valerie Perrine and Paul Sand. The film

remains popular to this day as a cult classic. The group has also appeared

on the small screen, featured on shows such as "The Love Boat,"

"20/20," "American Bandstand," "Solid Gold,"

and "Soul Train" among others. The Village People recorded three

more albums that either went gold or platinum from 1980 to 1985. Some

of the hit songs from this period were "Action Man," "Five

O'Clock in the Morning," "Fox on the Box," and "Play

Bach."

The group took

a break from touring in 1986 but came back with a vengeance. They recorded

the album "Living in the Wildlife" in 1990 and sang with the

German national soccer team in 1996 on the song "Far Away in America."

Their hits have never been far from the American consciousness, appearing

in hit films such as "Addams Family Values" and "Wayne's

World II." The Village People also made a number of television appearances

again, popping up on "Oprah," "Married With Children,"

and The Rosie O'Donnell Show" as well as several others. In addition

to appearances on television and in movies, their biggest hits are played

on almost a nightly basis at athletic venues around the world.

Tickets for

The Village People are $45. The show will start at 8 p.m. with local band

Fairborn opening. Phone 770-631-0630 for more information. For more information

on The Village People, visit www.officialvillagepeople.com.

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