FROM PEASANT TO KING

It was a Tuesday, February 6, 1951. Darío de

Jesús Gómez Zapata, better known as the king
of spite, was born in Los Cedros, in the village
of San Jerónimo, Antioquia. His parents,
Marcos Aurelio Gómez Munera and Ana
Abigail Zapata, were peasants. He survived by
working as a mechanic and picking coffee, and
studying in between days, his maternal
grandfather had given him a tiple, which
awakened his interest in music since his
childhood. He composed his first song at the
age of sixteen called "la casita vieja". In 1975 a
tragic accident killed his father, after a series of
events against him, his mother and siblings,
where he constantly lashed out against them.
One of those nights where he aimed against
his mother, the young man took the shotgun
that his father had and when he tried to run In 2004 he released one of the most emotional
away with it to throw it into the field, he shot it, pieces called "Daniela", addressed to his
because it was loaded and ending the life of his granddaughter and in which he told the sad
father. He toured several places, but after story of the murder of his daughter, Luz Dary,
knocking on the doors of many record labels to the girl's mother. Throughout his career,
show his work without much luck, Darío arrived Gomez made numerous collaborations,
at Codiscos at the end of the 70s. There he speaking of his nominations in Premios
became interested in several of his Nuestra Tierra are Popular Artist Of The Year
compositions and began to write songs for 2011, Popular Song Of The Year, for the song
other artists. He would later become artistic "Mi corazón está solito" and Popular Artist Of
director and would record with his brother The Year in 2021. That same year, he obtained
Heriberto Gómez as a duo, under the name of the nomination of Popular Song Of The Year,
Los Legendarios. He later composed the song for the song "La reina y el rey", performed with
"Ángel Perdido" inspired by the death of his Colombian singer Arelys Henao, he also
sister Rosangela in 1978. received distinctions such as the ASCAP
Award, for his composition of "Nadie es
In 1985, Darío Gómez debuted as a solo singer eterno", in New York, United States, and the
with the single "Decídelo" and the full-length crown of Rey Del Despecho. On July 26, 2022,
album "Así se le canta al despecho". During his the Clínica Las Américas reported that Darío
musical career he sold more than six million Gómez died in Medellín, Colombia after
albums in national and international markets. suffering a sudden collapse at his home, he
In 1992, while he was promoting his new arrived without vital signs and was taken to a
album, Dario Gomez visited several radio resuscitation room where he underwent
stations, in one of them, the announcer Nelson cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers
Moreno Holguin introduced him as The King of without success.
Despecho.