| Real Name: | William Omar Landrón Rivera |
| Birthday: | February 10, 1978 |
| Net Worth: | $5 million |
| Height: | 183 cm |
| Occupation: | Puerto Rican Reggaeton Singer, Actor, Producer |
More recognized by his stage name, Don Omar, or El Rey is also often referred to as ‘King of Kings’ because of his contributions to the music industry and his role in bringing Latin music and Reggeaton to the mainstream. He was at the forefront when the genre was gaining prominence in the music scene. He is a singer, composer, and producer. He is also an actor and a businessman. Don Omar wears many hats and wears them well.
Early Life
William Omar Landron Rivera was born on February 10, 1978, in Santurce, a small town in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was raised by his father William Landron and mother Antonia Riveria. From his childhood, he had a passion for singing and making music. Musicians like Vico C highly influenced him, but he never actually put effort into making music.
He became very involved in church activities at a young age when he joined a Protestant church called Iglesia Evangelica Restauracion en Cristo to become a preacher. There, he would occasionally give sermons. It was at the church that he gained experience and honed his ability to perform on stage and in front of people. It was at the altar that he gained an understanding, insight into human nature. This would reflect his ability to connect with the audience on a soulful level through his voice, lyrics, and delivery method. After four years with the church, he left to focus on his talents and pursue a career in music.
Personal Life
Don Omar has done a lot to keep his private life under the radar, but we know that in 2003 he had a son, Nicolas Valle Gomez, with Melissa Del Valle. Their relationships lasted for a year.
He later married Jackie Guerrido, a presenter, journalist, and weather forecaster.on April 19, 2008. They have four children together. There were rumors that they were going to break up soon after they got married. Their marriage was full of drama, from screaming fits in the Univision studio where Jackie worked to back and forth banter on social media. There were also rumors that he abused her. They finalized their divorce in a New Jersey court, and Jackie received a $3.7 million settlement. Till today Omar maintains that he holds nothing against her.
On September 18, 2007, Omar was temporarily detained in Santa Cruz de la Sierra due to a legal dispute. A Bolivian concert promoter sued Omar and his management for defrauding him of $70,000. He said Omar had failed to perform at a concert scheduled for earlier in that year in La Paz as part of Omar’s international Up Close tour. In response, Omar defended himself, saying he canceled the concert because the company did not provide air tickets on time. The case was presented before a local judge and was decided that Omar would be granted permission to leave the country. He had another scheduled performance in Buenos Aires, and he returned the next day to hold his concert.
Career
Omar started his career performing at small night clubs accompanied by Dj Eliel Lind Osorio and appeared regularly on many albums in collaboration with many producers and DJs. He also worked as a songwriter and backup singer for the duo Hector and Tito. It was Hector El Bambino, a.k.a Hector El Father, who gave him his first big break and helped Omar produce his first album.
He released his debut album in 2003 titled ‘The Last Don,’ produced by Luny Tunes and Eliel. The album was a hit. Omar’s voice resonated with the people and uplifted their spirits and became a milestone for his ethnicity and reggaeton music as a genre. The album also helped him settle into a career as a professional solo artist. It saw massive success selling platinum as live performances and studio versions, respectively. The album propelled Omar to stardom. In 2003, he bagged awards for Latin Pop album of the year and New Artist and Latin Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the year at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.
In 2005, Omar released another album, ‘King of Kings.’ It peaked at Number 8 on Billboard’s 200 overall album chart and became the first reggaeton album to enter the top 10. The album also marked the beginning of his association with the Fast and Furious Franchise. Two of his songs were featured in The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift. In the franchise, he played the role of Rico Santos, a street racer from The Dominican Republic and friend of another character Tego.
In 2007, Don Omar created a label called OMG (Orfanato Music Group). It represents many up and coming artists working across multiple Latin genres of music. After three years, he released an album called ‘Meet the Orphans.’ It featured tons of new and upcoming artists from his label.
There has been a famous rivalry between Daddy Yankee and Don Omar. The two have been feuding publicly for close to a decade over the title of ‘King of Reggaeton.’ But in 2016, they put their differences aside and announced that they would perform together on The Kingdom World Tour. Their tour tickets sold out in minutes.
On September 1, 2017, Don Omar announced that he was retiring from the music industry after a series of concerts at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan. However, he has still been active in the music scene.
So far, Don Omar has released five studio albums, four live albums, four compilation albums between 2003 and 2020, and has had large sales and success.
Net Worth
Don Omar’s fortune is around $5 million. He earns his money from album sales, music tours and concerts, and his acting career.
Quick Summary
Don Omar is a pioneering artist that is very proud of his Puerto Rican heritage. Over the years, he has had a successful music career and has also been blessed with a loving family.
His determination and ability to connect with the people is what brought him fame and success.
