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The DJ behind the iconic line dance the “Cha Cha Slide” has sadly passed away at age 58 following a battle with cancer.
DJ Casper, real name Willie Perry Jr, died on Monday, ABC 7 Chicago reports. The Chicago native rose to fame in the early 2000s with his popular dance hit that continues to get the party started to this day.
Casper’s wife confirmed the famed DJ was surrounded by loved ones when he lost his battle with cancer. In May, he appeared for his last television interview and opened up about his cancer diagnosis slowing down his career.
“They diagnosed me in 2016 with two kinds of cancer, which is renal and Neuroendocrine, which is kidney and liver,” Casper said. “They went in to try to do surgery, and they found out the kidney was connected to the main artery, so they decided not to do it and just treat it.”
He explained how the cancer started to impact his health and weight in recent years.
“I used to weigh 236 pounds, and I think I’m about 60 pounds less,” Casper said.
“If you know me, you know I’m not going to stop. I’m going to continue to go. I’m going to continue to go until I can’t go.”
DJ Casper first recorded the song under the title “Casper Slide Pt. 1,” in 1998 for his nephew’s personal trainer aerobics class, Variety reports. The song started to gain traction in local fitness clubs, prompting Casper to record and release a new version in 2000 dubbed the “Casper Slide Pt. 2.”
The second rendition earned him radio play and caught the attention of Chicago’s M.O.B. Records which helped him catapult the song by 2004. “Cha Cha Slide” went on to reach No. 1 on the Singles chart that year in the UK, Scotland, and Ireland Dance charts.
“I have one of the biggest songs that played at all stadiums: hockey, basketball, football, baseball; they played it at the Olympics,” Casper said. “It was something that everybody could do.”
He left some words of wisdom to others battling cancer that reflected his goal of releasing a song that brought people from all walks of life together.
“Anybody that’s going through cancer, know that you have cancer and cancer does not have you,” Casper said. “So, keep on doing the ‘Cha Cha Slide.’”
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