The 58-year-old creator of the 2000 novelty smash “Cha Cha Slide” and its ubiquitous line dance, DJ Casper, has passed away.
Casper, whose birth name was Willie Perry Jr., passed away on Monday following a seven-year battle with cancer, his wife Kim confirmed to WLS-TV in Chicago, which was the first to report the musician’s passing. Casper reportedly received treatment for renal and liver cancer in 2016, as reported by the BBC.
“Casper was a generous and fun-loving individual,” his wife said in a statement. “He was an honest, family-focused man. Chicago held a special place in his heart. He will be missed immensely.”
In 2016, the family disclosed his diagnosis after commencing a GoFundMe campaign to assist with his care.
Born and raised in Chicago, the hype man once toured with funk legend James Brown. As an adolescent, he began producing music and deejaying, characterizing himself as a natural entertainer who wanted to make people happy. Mr. C the Slide Man, a South Sider also known as Mr. C, acquired his stage moniker by wearing all white during performances, and he rose to prominence with the megahit “Cha Cha Slide.”
The tune, whose music video was filmed in downtown Chicago, sparked an international dance fad that has remained popular at wedding receptions and dance parties since the early 2000s.
In 2018, he told Chicago’s PBS station WTTW, “I didn’t anticipate the ‘Cha-Cha Slide’ to be so successful.”
“Casper Slide Pt. 1” was the original title of “Cha Cha Slide” when it was released in 1998. Its corresponding choreography instructs dancers to “slide to the left, slide to the right.”
Criss cross” and “cha cha real fluid” were developed by Casper for his nephew’s step aerobics class at Bally Total Fitness, and the track was sold out of a trunk. Local acclaim inspired him to release “Casper Slide Pt. 2,” which was taken up by Chicago radio station WGCI-FM in 2000 and became a local success, with callers requesting the song.
In 2004, M.O.B. Records acquired the recording, prompting DJ Casper to sign with Universal Records.
DJ Casper told WLS in May,
“I have one of the most popular songs that is played at all stadiums for hockey, basketball, football, and baseball, as well as at the Olympics.” It was simply something that anyone could do.
The song’s success enabled him to continue producing music, he told WTTW, but since the song’s zenith, the royalty payments have stalled and he has splurged “until all the splurging is gone.”
Although he continued to perform the hit at events, the novelty eventually faded off: “I’ve long since grown tired of the melody. But I never tire of seeing people enjoy themselves.”
Casper made a notable appearance in Season 6 of the Netflix drama “Orange Is the New Black” as a prison orderly operating a phonograph when Crazy Eyes (Uzo Aduba) hallucinates about her fellow inmates and prison officers performing the line dance.
Additionally, “Turning Red,” “Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania,” and “Red Road” all feature the song on their respective soundtracks.
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