Remembering Valerie Perinne (1943-2026)

 

Valerie Perinne, voluptuous actress born September 3, 1943 in Galveston, Texas, passed away from Parkinson's disease in Los Angeles.  Her first film was Slaughterhouse-Five in 1972.  It was her performance in Lenny that gained her an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.

She portrayed Lex Luthor's moll Miss Eve Tessmacher in Superman I and Superman II. She had the lead role in Can't Stop the Music with the Village People, which was a spectacular failure at the box office.

She continued acting until her retirement 2016, a year after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2015.

Valerie Perrine in Cannonball Run

Happy birthday, Alex Briley, Village People singer!

Alexander Briley, born April 12, 1947 in Harlem, New York, was the original G.I. in the Village People.  He appeared as a sailor when they recorded In The Navy in 1979.  He retired from the group at 70 after forty years with the Village People. 

Happy birthday, Village People lead vocalist Ray Simpson!

Ray Simpson, born January 15, 1954 in New York City, is best known as the former lead singer and Cop for Village People.  He sang backup for the group in its formative years.  When the original lead singer Victor Willis left the Village People in 1979, Simpson became the front man.  He appeared with the rest of the band in the movie Can't Stop the Music in 1980.  

His sister is Valerie Simpson of the duo Ashford & Simpson.

Ray lives in New Jersey with his wife Leslie and daughter Alayna.  

Glenn Hughes, Village People leather man, born 1950

Glenn Hughes, born July 18, 1950 in Bronx, New York, was the original leather man for the Village People.  He was working as a toll collector at the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel when he responded to an ad for "macho" singers and dancers. 

He was listed as People Magazine's Most Beautiful People in 1979.

He passed away in March 2001 from lung cancer.

Village People release "Macho Man" 1978

The Village People released their second studio album Macho Man, February 27, 1978.  The single of the same name reached #25 in September, becoming their first charting hit.  Key West, the second single from the album reached #4 on the Billboard Dance Chart.

The album has been certified platinum with 1M sales in the US.

Happy birthday, Randy Jones!

Randy Jones, born September 13, 1952 in Raleigh, North Carolina, is the (original) sexy cowboy from the Village People.  He started as a fashion model prior to his singing gig, and has been pursuing acting, starring in a number of television shows and movies.

He married his longtime boyfriend Will Grega May 7, 2004 in New York City.