Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 29, 2026

DJ Casper

William Perry Jr., better known as DJ Casper, was an American disc jockey. Born and raised in Chicago, he was known as "Casper" due to frequently being clad in all white attire on stage. He was best known for his 2000 single "Cha Cha Slide".

Last revised
Jul 29, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
Length
782 w
Citations
18
Source
Wikipedia ↗
DJ Casper
Background information
Also known asMr. C the Slide Man
Born
William Perry Jr.

(1965-05-31)May 31, 1965
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedAugust 7, 2023(2023-08-07) (aged 58)
Hazel Crest, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • DJ
  • hype man
  • songwriter
Years active1998–2023
Labels

William Perry Jr. (May 31, 1965 – August 7, 2023), better known as DJ Casper (also known as Mr. C the Slide Man), was an American disc jockey.1 Born and raised in Chicago, he was known as "Casper" due to frequently being clad in all white attire on stage.2 He was best known for his 2000 single "Cha Cha Slide".

Career

Perry's first and only hit record, "Casper Slide Pt. 1" – also known as "Cha Cha Slide" – was created by Perry for his nephew, who worked as a personal trainer at a Bally Total Fitness in 1998.3 After the song grew in popularity as an aerobic exercise at fitness clubs and PE in schools, Casper created a second song in 2000, titled "Casper Slide Pt. 2", which was picked up by Elroy Smith at Chicago's radio station, WGCI-FM.4

The song became a hit in Chicago in 2004, when the city's M.O.B. Records record label became involved as well, helping Perry create a whole compilation album with other Chicago-based artists to promote the dance.5 "Cha Cha Slide" was later picked up by Universal Records and became a global hit, most notably in the United Kingdom, where it topped the UK Singles Chart in March 2004 and became Britain's third best-selling song of 2004.3

Perry made an appearance as a DJ in a season 6 episode of Orange Is the New Black, in Crazy Eyes' hallucination of the prisoners and guards line dancing to the Cha Cha Slide.6

Illness and death

In January 2016, Perry was diagnosed with kidney cancer and neuroendocrine cancer.78 After an unsuccessful surgery the same month, he began chemotherapy.8 In an interview in July 2018, he stated he was in remission.9 In 2019, Perry stated that he beat his kidney and liver cancers and said he was a changed man, stating "that was God's way of just slowing me down just a little bit."10

Perry died of kidney and liver cancer on August 7, 2023, at the age of 58.1112 He was remembered as the Cha Cha Slide creator in national outlets as well as local Chicago media, with radio personality Seandale Hunley declaring Perry a "Chicago icon" and suggesting Perry was dancing the Cha Cha Slide in Heaven: "He up there Cha-Chaing right now, man."11

Discography

Perry with Mia Park at the taping of the 500th episode of Chic-a-Go-Go. source ↗

Albums

  • Out Champ (1999)13
  • Cha-Cha Slide: The Original Slide Album (2000)
  • Casper (2001)13

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US US
R&B 		AUS
14 		GER IRE NL SWI UK
"Cha Cha Slide" 2000 83 24 64 83 3 12 86 1 Cha-Cha Slide: The Original Slide Album
"Oops Up Side Your Head" 2004 – – – – 25 – – 16 Non-album single
References

References

  1. "CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Business". Archived from the original on November 2, 2007. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
  2. V103.com Archived August 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Eng, Monica; Nagasawa, Katherine (2019). "The Cha-Cha Slide And More: Which Dances Were Invented In Chicago?". NPR. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  4. Madarang, Charisma (August 8, 2023). "DJ Casper, Creator of the Beloved 'Cha Cha Slide,' Dead at 58". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  5. "DJ Casper, 'Cha Cha Slide' creator, dies at 58". NBC News. August 8, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  6. "'Orange Is The New Black': Why the DJ Casper "Cha-Cha Slide" Moment Is So Devastating". Decider. July 27, 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  7. "Benefit for Casper/Cancer Meds by Willie Casper Perry – GoFundMe". GoFundMe. May 18, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  8. "'Cha Cha Slide' Creator DJ Casper Fighting Cancer – JetMag.com". Jet Magazine. May 20, 2016. Archived from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  9. "'Orange Is the New Black: Behind Season 6 Most Surprising Cameo". Vanity Fair. July 28, 2018.
  10. Sanders, Hosea (October 25, 2019). "DJ Casper, known for 'Cha Cha Slide,' celebrates beating cancer". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  11. "Chicago native DJ Capser, creator of the "Cha-Cha Slide," has died". CBS News Chicago. August 7, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  12. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (August 8, 2023). "DJ Casper, who had No 1 hit with Cha Cha Slide, dies aged 58". The Guardian. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  13. Bulbul, Nuray (August 8, 2023). "DJ Casper: Musician who created Cha Cha Slide dies aged 58". Evening Standard. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  14. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 84.
External links