DJ Casper, Creator Of ‘Cha Cha Slide’ Dead At 58 After Cancer Battle

The family of DJ Casper confirmed that he had been afflicted with cancer and had been battling the disease for over seven years. The emcee rocked the early 2000s with his “Cha Cha Slide,” dance which has become a staple for parties, including family gatherings where family dance by following the routine.

Born Willie Perry Jr., DJ Casper was from and grew up in Chicago and acquired his name due to his fondness for wearing all-white outfits while on stage dancing.

According to his biography, Casper originally created the “Cha Cha Slide,” as an instructional for his nephew, who was a personal trainer at Bally Total Fitness in 1998. The song became immensely popular in fitness clubs across Chicago and later PE in schools, leading him to create a second song in 2000 for commercial release across the United States.

The song first got massive airplay by Elroy Smith WGCI-FM in Chicago before hitting the charts leading to DJ Casper receiving a record deal from M.O.B. Records, which released a compilation album featuring DJ Casper and other lesser-known artists from Chicago and the project was distributed by Universal Records.