Willie Perry Jr., better known as DJ Casper, was a Chicago disc jockey and songwriter best known as the creator of the party favorite “Cha Cha Slide.”
- Died: August 7, 2023 (Who else died on August 7?)
- Details of death: Died in Chicago of kidney and liver cancer at the age of 58.
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DJ Casper’s legacy
Perry was born and raised in Chicago. As a songwriter and disc jockey better known as DJ Casper, or sometimes Mr. C the Slide Man, his early fame was local as a hometown performer. Then, in 1998, he wrote “Casper Slide Pt. 1,” also known as “Cha Cha Slide,” for his nephew, a fitness instructor at Bally Total Fitness. The song was meant to accompany aerobics workouts and quickly made its way through area fitness clubs, prompting Perry to create a second version, “Casper Slide Pt. 2.”
In 2000, Elroy Smith of Chicago radio’s WGCI-FM picked up the song and started giving it airplay. It proved to have a long life. By 2001, it had become a bona fide hit in the U.S. and Canada, and in 2004 it started making waves internationally, topping the UK Singles chart. In the years since, DJ Casper’s “Cha Cha Slide” has become a staple of weddings, proms, and other large gatherings that bring people together for a good time.
Tributes to DJ Casper
Full obituary: Chicago Sun-Times
