DJ Casper, the creative mastermind behind the international dance hit “Cha Cha Slide,” has died at the age of 58. The Chicago music pioneer, real name Willie Perry Jr., was one of the most prominent figures in the city’s line dance community. According to the local ABC 7 station, Perry’s wife Kim confirmed yesterday (August 7) that the musician’s cause of date was tied to his longtime battle with cancer.
Perry sat down with the station in May to discuss his health condition. “They diagnosed me in 2016 with two kinds of cancer, which is renal and Neuroendocrine, which is kidney and liver,” said Perry.
He added, “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.”
Perry remained optimistic about his chances at recovery. He even offered words of encouragement for others fighting the disease, saying, “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.’”
Before Chicago birthed drill music and its innovators such as Lil Durk, Chief Keef, and G Herbo, the Windy City had long since had a musical legacy in dance genres, including house music.