Glenn M. Hughes, né le 18 juillet 1950 à New York et mort le 4 mars 2001 à New York, est connu comme le premier homme de cuir du groupe Village People, de 1977 à 1996.

Il est diplômé en 1968 de la Chaminade High School. Il est ensuite élève au Manhattan College, où il est introduit comme membre de la fraternité Phi Alpha Mu Sinfonia en 1969.

Il se passionne pour la moto et travaille comme un collecteur de péage dans le tunnel Brooklyn Battery quand il se présente à un casting du compositeur Jacques Morali à la recherche de chanteurs et de danseurs «macho». Hughes et d'autres membres du groupe reçoivent des cours accélérés de danse synchronisée qui, plus tard, caractérisera le groupe lors des spectacles.

La puissante voix de basse de Glenn joue un rôle important dans la quasi-totalité des chansons des Village People.

Il porte une extravagante moustache en fer à cheval et son costume de cuir à la ville comme à la scène.

En 1996, il se sépare du groupe pour lancer son propre spectacle de cabaret à New York. Il endosse cette activité de manager jusqu'à ce qu'un cancer du poumon lui soit diagnostiqué.

Il est remplacé par Eric Anzalone en tant que biker dans les Village People. Toutefois, Hughes continue avec la direction du groupe. Au cours de ses dernières années, il est connu pour circuler dans les rues de New York avec sa Harley-Davidson.

Il meurt en mars 2001 à l'âge de 50 ans dans son appartement à Manhattan, d'un cancer du poumon. Il est enterré dans le cimetière Saint-Charles à Farmingdale, Long Island.

Source: Article "Glenn Hughes (Village People)" de Wikipédia en français, soumis à la licence CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Glenn Michael Hughes (July 18, 1950 – March 4, 2001) was an American singer who was the original "Leatherman" character in the disco group Village People from 1977 to 1996.

He graduated in 1968 from Chaminade High School, and then attended Manhattan College, where he was initiated as a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity in 1969. He was interested in motorcycles, and was working as a toll collector at the 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.

Hughes sported an extravagant horseshoe moustache and wore his trademark leather outfit on and off stage and became one of the iconic figures of the disco era. According to Jack Fritscher, Jacques Morali drew his inspiration for the character from the gay BDSM leather bar and sex club the Mineshaft's dress code. Hughes frequented the club. He was a bike fanatic in real life and kept his motorcycle parked inside his house.

In 1996, Hughes retired from the group and launched a successful New York cabaret act until he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had been a heavy smoker since he was a teenager. He was replaced by Eric Anzalone; however, Hughes continued with management of the band. Hughes was named on People Magazine's 1979 list of 'Most Beautiful People' and appeared in the television special The Playboy Mansion with Hugh Hefner.

Hughes died on March 4, 2001, at his Manhattan apartment from lung cancer, aged 50. He was subsequently interred wearing his leatherman outfit at Saint Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York.

Source: Article "Glenn Hughes (American singer)" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.