DJ Casper | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Willie Perry Jr. |
| Also known as | Mr. C The Slide Man |
| Born | May 31, 1971 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Island Def Jam, Universal Records |
Willie Perry Jr. (born May 31, 1971), best known as DJ Casper, is an American songwriter and DJ.[1] Perry Jr. was raised in Englewood, Chicago, and is known as Casper because he almost always wears white clothing on stage. He is also known as Mr. C The Slide Man.[2]
Perry's first 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. 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.
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. "Cha Cha Slide" was later picked up by Universal Records. In January 2016, Perry Jr. was diagnosed with kidney cancer and neuroendocrine cancer.[3][4] After unsuccessful surgery the same month, he began chemotherapy.[4] In an interview in July 2018, he stated he was in remission.[5] In 2019, Perry stated that he beat his liver and kidney cancers and said he is a changed man, stating "that was God's way of just slowing me down just a little bit."[6]
Perry makes 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.[7]
Discography
Albums
- Out Champ (1999)
- Casper (2001)
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | GER | IRE | NL | SWI | UK | |||
| "Cha Cha Slide" | 2000 | 83 | 24 | 83 | 3 | 12 | 86 | 1 | Cha-Cha Slide: The Original Slide Album |
| "Oops Up Side Your Head" | 2004 | – | – | – | 25 | – | – | 16 | Non-album single |
References
- ^ "CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Business". Archived from the original on 2007-11-02. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
- ^ V103.com Archived 2008-08-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Benefit for Casper/Cancer Meds by Willie Casper Perry - GoFundMe". GoFundMe. 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
- ^ a b "'Cha Cha Slide' Creator DJ Casper Fighting Cancer - JetMag.com". Jet Magazine. 2016-05-20. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
- ^ "'Orange Is the New Black: Behind Season 6 Most Surprising Cameo". Vanity Fair. 2018-07-28.
- ^ S, Hosea; ers (2019-10-25). "DJ Casper, known for 'Cha Cha Slide,' celebrates beating cancer". ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
- ^ "'Orange Is The New Black': Why the DJ Casper "Cha-Cha Slide" Moment Is So Devastating". Decider. 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2021-01-26.