Willi Görlach was born on 27 December 1940 in Butzbach, Germany. He was a mechanic and worked as a teacher in a vocational school in his hometown. In 1959 he joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) where he held numerous functions. Between 1981 and 1988 he served as deputy chairman for Hesse South.
In 1989 Willi Görlach was elected member of the European Parliament and remained an MEP until 2004. During that period he was member of the Socialist Group, member of the Group of the Party of European Socialists, Chair of the Delegation for relations with Israel, Vice-Chair of the Delegation for relations with Malta, Vice-Chair of the Delegation for relations with Canada, member of the Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, member of the Delegation to the EC-Malta Joint Parliamentary Committee, member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, member of the Delegation for relations with Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, member of the Delegation for relations with the United States, member of the Delegation for relations with Canada, member of the Delegation for relations with Israel and member of the Conference of Delegation Chairs.
Willi Görlach received the Cross of Merit 1st Class of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1983 and the Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2002.