The BBC reports that DJ Casper, well known for producing the wildly popular dance classic “Cha Cha Slide,” has passed away. He was 58.
Casper passed away on Monday following a seven-year battle with cancer, his wife Kim informed Chicago’s ABC7, which broke the news.
Willie Perry Jr.’s birth name was Casper, and he was raised in Chicago. In 1998, “Cha Cha Slide,” then known as “Casper Slide Pt. 1,” was created for Casper’s nephew, a personal trainer, and his aerobics class.
In 2000, Casper produced a new version of the song called “Casper Slide Pt. 2,” which began to receive radio play when the song acquired popularity in neighborhood fitness clubs. When Chicago’s M.O.B. Records became involved subsequently, the song gained even more notoriety in the city by 2004 and then worldwide. In addition to topping the dance charts in Scotland and Ireland that year, “Cha Cha Slide” also peaked at No. 1 on the UK Singles chart.
Cancer of the liver and kidneys was identified in Casper in 2016. Casper talked more about his health issues in a May interview with Samantha Chatman of ABC7.
“I used to weigh 236 pounds, and now I think I’m about 60 pounds less,” Casper said to ABC7. “If you know me, you already know that I won’t stop. I’m going to keep going. I’ll keep going till I can no longer go.
He nevertheless believed that “Cha Cha Slide” could convey a helpful message to anyone going through a difficult time.
At the time, Casper added, “Anyone who is suffering through cancer, realize that you’ve got cancer and cancer does not have you. So, continue performing the “Cha Cha Slide.”