Alexander Briley (born April 12, 1951) is an American singer who was the original " G.I." in the disco recording act

Village People Village People is an American disco group known for its on-stage costumes and suggestive lyrics in their music. The group was originally formed by French producers Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis following the rel ...

Biography

Alex Briley was born in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Harl ...

, New York City, in 1951, the son of a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

minister. Raised in Harlem and later

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is ...

, New York, Briley sang in church from an early age and studied voice at the

University of Hartford The University of Hartford (UHart) is a private university in West Hartford, Connecticut. Its main campus extends into neighboring Hartford and Bloomfield. The university attracts students from 48 states and 43 countries. The university and it ...

. Briley had two brothers, Timothy and Jonathan. Briley was introduced to producer/composer Jacques Morali by Village People member Victor Willis. He originally performed in jeans and a T-shirt, but he took the role of a soldier for the album '' Cruisin''' in 1978, and appeared as a sailor when the group recorded '' In the Navy'' in 1979.

Jonathan Briley

Alex Briley's younger brother, Jonathan (1958–2001), worked as an audio engineer at Windows on the World on the 106th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center and perished in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In 2005, Jonathan was speculated by several people to be the The Falling Man – the figure depicted in an iconic photo of a man falling to his death from the North Tower. He was one of an estimated 100–200 people who died on 9/11 either by jumping from, falling from, or being pushed out of the upper stories of the Twin Towers.

References

1951 births Living people African-American male singers American male pop singers Singers from New York (state) People from Harlem Musicians from Mount Vernon, New York University of Hartford alumni Village People members 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers {{US-singer-stub