DJ Casper, the creator of the dance hit and wedding reception staple “Cha Cha Slide,” died Monday following a seven-year battle with cancer.
He was 58. His death was reported by his wife Kim to Chicago’s ABC7. Born and raised in Chicago as Willie Perry Jr., DJ Casper wrote the instructional line-dance song in 1998 for his nephew’s aerobic class.
Originally titled “Casper Slide Pt. 1,” the song, in which Casper provided step-by-step dance instructions – “To the right now/To the left/Take it back now y’all/One hop this time” – grew in local popularity and within two year a new version called “Casper Slide Pt.
2” began turning up on the radio. With the backing of Chicago’s M.O.B. Records, the song, retitled “Cha Cha Slide,” became an international dance hit.
Read more on deadline.com