DJ Casper, the creator of the worldwide party hit 'Cha Cha Slide,' has sadly passed away aged 58.
The Chicago-based musician - whose full name is Willie Perry Jr - died on Monday (August 7), seven years after he was diagnosed with kidney and liver cancer.
His death was announced by his devastated wife Kim, who told local Chicago news station ABC7 that he had peacefully passed with his family by his side.
"Casper was a fun-loving, giving person," she said in the statement. "He was a genuine, family-oriented man. He loved Chicago with all his heart. He will be greatly missed."
The DJ released albums in 1999 and 2001, however, he skyrocketed to fame after releasing his best-known song 'Cha Cha Slide' - which was originally released under the title 'Casper Slide Pt. 1' in 1998 for Casper's personal trainer nephew's aerobics class.
The song was inspired by the Chicago stepping dance movement and started gaining traction in local fitness clubs. Casper then released a new version in 2000 titled 'Casper Slide Pt. 2,' and it began to get radio play. Eventually, Chicago’s M.O.B. Records became involved, catapulting the song to further stardom by 2004.
Elsewhere in the world, the song - which has 133 million views on YouTube - reached Number 1 on the U.K. Singles chart that year, as well as on Scotland and Ireland's Dance charts.
The track was a staple print at parties in the early 2000s and decades later, it has continued to feature at weddings, birthdays, and other family events since. A version covered by Crazy Frog was even released in 2009.
Tributes have been shared following the news of his death. One fan tweeted: "RIP DJ Casper, the creator of The Cha Cha Slide. That man had a hand in making many family reunions, BBQs, dances, weddings, sporting events & other events fun with his song. I was literally just singing it yesterday with my brother playing around. He left a legacy."
Another supporter said: "Rest In Peace to DJ Casper. Thank you for the joy you brought to so many people. Have a peaceful journey."
A third commented: "#Chicago legend #DJCasper the creator of the #ChaChaSlide has passed away. He had cancer but cancer didn’t have him. He lived, laughed, and lived. God rest his soul."
A fourth shared: "That's truly saddening news. DJ Casper brought joy to so many with the "Cha Cha Slide." His legacy will live on through the countless celebrations and events where his music continues to unite people in dance. My condolences to his loved ones."
Casper was diagnosed with renal and neuroendocrine cancer in 2016. After surgery to remove the cancer was unsuccessful, he began chemotherapy and announced in 2018 that he had entered remission.
However, in an interview with ABC 7 Chicago in May, Casper said that he was struggling with the disease once again and had lost a lot of weight in recent years.
"They diagnosed me in 2016 with two forms of cancer, which is renal and neuroendocrine, which is kidney and liver. 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," he said, adding that they decided to "just treat it" instead.
"I used to weigh 236 pounds, and I think I'm about 60 pounds less," he continued. "If you know me, you know I'm not gonna stop. I'm going to continue to go. I will continue to go until I can't go."
Casper hoped that his hit dance track could still bring positivity to anyone struggling, saying at the time: "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.'"
Our thoughts are with Casper's family, friends, and fans at this time.
