DJ Casper, Musician And Creator Of The 'Cha Cha Slide', Has Died At 58

The artist had been battling kidney and liver cancer since 2016

Hands on your knees, hands on your knees. One hop this time. DJ Casper, who created the popular line dance the Cha Cha Slide and wrote and recorded the accompanying song as Mr. C The Slide Man, died Monday, August 7 at the age of 58.

Casper, real name Willie Perry Jr., was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 31, 1965 and raised a lifelong resident, so much that what turned out to be his final interview was done with ABC7 Chicago’s Samantha Chatman. She was informed of his death by his wife Kim. In January 2016, Perry was diagnosed with renal and neuroendocrine cancer, which is of the kidney and liver. By July 2018 he was in remission, and in October 2019 was believed to have fully beaten it. However, the cancer returned, and he found himself having trouble eating and drastic weight loss. Surgery was scrapped in favor of treatment when it was found the kidney was connected to the main artery.

The Cha Cha Slide was created as aerobic exercise for Perry’s nephew who worked at Bally’s as a personal trainer. Both parts of what was originally the “Casper Slide” were picked up by local radio station WGCI, where it was included on compilations before it broke out and was picked up by Universal Records. It has since become a staple music choice played at any event one could think of, including weddings, school dances, proms, birthday parties, skating rinks, Bar and bat mitzvahs, quinceañeras, and sporting events. And even camp talent shows. It reached #1 in the United Kingdom in 2004. A scene in the season 6 premiere of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, titled “Who Knows Better Than I” featured Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren played by Uzo Aduba, hallucinating inmates dancing to it with Casper cameoing as the DJ.

The Wrap calls both aspects of the Cha Cha Slide “nearly ubiquitous cultural touchstones”. Perry wrote a statement before his death which has now been released after, which says “Anybody that’s going through cancer, know that you have cancer and cancer does not have you. So, keep on doing the 'Cha Cha Slide'”. Surviving family aside from his wife is unknown. Everybody clap your hands. The music video for the song is below.

Sources: ABC7 Chicago, The Wrap