DJ Casper, best known for creating the hugely successful dance hit “Cha Cha Slide,” has died, according to the BBC. He was 58.
Casper’s wife, Kim, told Chicago’s ABC7 — which first reported the news — that he died on Monday after a seven-year bout with cancer.
Casper, whose birth name was Willie Perry Jr., was born and raised in Chicago. “Cha Cha Slide,” originally released under the title “Casper Slide Pt. 1,” was made in 1998 for Casper’s personal trainer nephew’s aerobics class.