DJ Casper

Not to be confused with Dave Casper or Denise J. Casper.

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".

DJ Casper
Background information
Birth name	William Perry Jr.
Also known as	Mr. C the Slide Man
Born	(1965-05-31)May 31, 1965 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	August 7, 2023(2023-08-07) (aged 58) Hazel Crest, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Dance electronic pop-rap
Occupations	DJ hype man songwriter
Years active	1998–2023
Labels	Island Def Jam Universal

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.^[7][8] 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.^[11][12]

Discography

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

Albums

• Out Champ (1999)^[13]
• Cha-Cha Slide: The Original Slide Album (2000)
• Casper (2001)^[13]
• I Love You (2022)^[14]

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[15]	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