Felipe Rose - Village People

Village People

Soon, Rose started to venture into the nightclub scene and at the same time his aunt introduced him to other influences in dance and recommended that he honor his father's heritage by dressing in his tribal regalia - this led to the "Indian" attire. Rose was working as a dancer and a bartender in a gay New York Go-Go club, dressed as an Indian when he was discovered by French producer Jacques Morali and executive producer Henri Belolo and so became the first recruit for Village People.

Both Jacques and Henri were fascinated by Rose's Indian attire and saw the potential in organizing a singing group where each individual would wear a different costume and have a particular identity. While the producers were busy recruiting and preparing the other members of the group, Rose was sent to Paris where he choreographed a native dance number for the Crazy Horse Saloon. When he returned to the U.S., he suggested that the other members of the group wear uniforms representing different "manly" occupations in New York's Greenwich Village.

In 1977, the Village People had their first hit with "San Francisco", although this song became a hit only in the United Kingdom. Then in 1978 they had their first hits in the U.S. with "Macho Man" followed by "Y.M.C.A.".

In the 1980s, Rose sang and danced for the Latin music maestro Tito Puente and he also starred in a regional theatre production of West Side Story. In 1996, Rose started the Tomahawk Group, an entertainment and recording company. The company handles Village People's releases and songs. The company is also in charge of the group's many engagements. Rose has been the producer of various artists.