DJ Casper, born Willie Perry Jr., performs throughout rehearsals for his efficiency on The Jenny Jones Present in Chicago in September 2000. Perry has died at age 58.

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Raymond Boyd/Getty Photos

DJ Casper, born Willie Perry Jr., performs throughout rehearsals for his efficiency on The Jenny Jones Present in Chicago in September 2000. Perry has died at age 58.

Raymond Boyd/Getty Photos

The musical thoughts behind the “Cha Cha Slide” — the ever-present turn-of-the-millennium dance hit performed at celebrations and in gyms the world over — has died.

DJ Casper died Monday after an extended battle with most cancers, his spouse instructed ABC7 in Chicago. He was 58.

Born Willie Perry Jr., the Chicago native initially recorded a model of the “Cha Cha Slide” within the late Nineteen Nineties as an cardio train for his nephew, who was working as a private coach at Bally Complete Health.

Casper mentioned the monitor shortly took off and he acquired requests to carry out it at native golf equipment and events, in accordance with WBEZ. Chicago’s WGCI-FM radio station aired the tune in 2000 earlier than it was finally picked up by Common Data.

“I actually did not count on the ‘Cha Cha Slide’ to do what it did,” Casper mentioned in an interview with Chicago’s PBS station WTTW in 2018. “Every part hit abruptly, Common Data contact me, they needed me to go on a tour and it began getting actual loopy.”

Based on Pitchfork, Casper composed a brand new model that yr initially referred to as “Casper Slide Half 2,” which grew to become the “Cha Cha Slide” that caught fireplace within the U.S. and hit No. 1 on the charts in the UK in 2004.

From humble exercise monitor to world phenomenon, the “Cha Cha Slide” endures to this present day as a staple at weddings, birthday events, faculty phys ed courses and extra.

Within the tune, Casper calls out easy-to-follow steps that invite dancers to slip to the left and proper, criss cross, Charlie Brown and — in fact — cha cha actual easy.

Now a popular culture mainstay, the “Cha Cha Slide” has stomped its manner into exhibits like Orange is the New Black and Saturday Evening Stay.

Casper instructed ABC7 that he was recognized with kidney and liver cancers in 2016 and misplaced about 60 kilos in consequence, however he by no means misplaced the upbeat perspective that pervaded his most well-known tune.

“Anyone that is going by most cancers, know that you’ve most cancers and most cancers doesn’t have you ever,” Casper instructed the station. “So, carry on doing the ‘Cha Cha Slide.’ “