From the Darkroom: 6,907 fans gather with the Village People to set Guinness record

Springfield-Greene County Library District
·1 min read
The Village People lead 6,907 fans in a Guinness Book of World Records-setting sing-along to their hit "Y.M.C.A." during Southwest Missouri State University’s 1997 homecoming.
The Village People lead 6,907 fans in a Guinness Book of World Records-setting sing-along to their hit "Y.M.C.A." during Southwest Missouri State University’s 1997 homecoming.

Southwest Missouri State University’s 1997 homecoming could have ended on a sour note after a loss to Northern Iowa at Plaster Field, but the popular musical group the Village People had other plans, as did Victoria Wonders, assistant director of alumni activities for the school. They hoped the 6,907 fans who gathered to sing the band’s 1978 hit “Y.M.C.A” would be a Guinness Book of World Records winner for the most people gathered in one place to dance to the song, and they later found out, it was. The record stood until a performance in Times Square in 2019.

This image is presented in partnership between the Springfield-Greene County Library District and the Springfield News-Leader. For more historical images of the Ozarks visit: thelibrary.org/fromthedarkroom”

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: From the Darkroom: Fans set record dancing to 'Y.M.C.A' at SMSU