DJ Casper, creator of Cha Cha Slide, dead at 58

DJ Casper, who was best known for his internationally famous Cha Cha Slide passed away at 58.

According to the musician's wife, Casper passed away following a battle with cancer.

He last spoke about his declining health in an interview with ABC7 in May and admitted to face a string of difficulties during his cancer battle but had promised to keep high spirits.

Speaking about his sensational hit Cha Cha Slide, the artist said that he never fathomed its potential to be an international hit.

"When I first did it, I did it as an aerobic exercise for my nephew at Bally's," Casper said. "From there, it just took off. Elroy Smith from WGCI grabbed ahold of it."

"I have one of the biggest songs that played at all stadiums: hockey, basketball, football, baseball; they played it at the Olympics," Casper said. 

"It was something that everybody could do."

The artist was was even touring with James Brown however, it came to a screeching halt when he was diagnosed with cancer.

"They diagnosed me in 2016 with two kinds of cancer, which is renal and Neuroendocrine, which is kidney and liver," Casper said. 

"They went in to try to do surgery, and they found out the kidney was connected to the main artery, so they decided not to do it and just treat it.

"I used to weigh 236 pounds, and I think I'm about 60 pounds less.

"If you know me, you know I'm not going to stop. I'm going to continue to go. I'm going to continue to go until I can't go.

"Anybody that's going through cancer, know that you have cancer and cancer does not have you,

"So, keep on doing the 'Cha Cha Slide.'"