The story of Hector “El Father”: his fearsome “70s combo”, depression and his departure from music to become a pastor

The story of Hector “El Father”: his fearsome “70s combo”, depression and his departure from music to become a pastor

The life of reggaeton icon Héctor Luis Delgado Román changed dramatically when he abandoned music, overcame suicide attempts and found refuge in faith

During his peak of fame, Hector “El Father” led a veritable army known as the “Combo de 70”
Héctor Luis Delgado Román, known in the reggaeton world as Héctor “El Father,” left an indelible mark on the history of urban music. In the 2000s, his name resonated in every corner of Puerto Rico and beyond, not only for hits like “Baila morena” and “Noche de travesuras,” but also for his fearsome reputation on the streets. Héctor was a reggaeton icon, but also a man surrounded by controversy and danger.

Behind that imposing figure that projected power and success, there was a man in constant internal struggle. Despite being surrounded by luxury and a legion of followers, Hector faced personal demons that led him to extreme situations, including several suicide attempts. The price of fame, as he himself recognized, had plunged him into an abyss from which there seemed to be no way out.

Today, the same man who dominated the reggaeton scene with his imposing presence has left secular music behind to follow a very different path. Now an evangelical pastor, Hector Delgado has transformed his life, dedicating himself to spreading a message of faith and redemption, influencing new generations from a completely different perspective.

Combo of 70: the army of Hector “El Father”
At the height of his career, he not only dominated the charts with his music, but also wielded formidable power on the streets of Puerto Rico, thanks to his feared “Combo de 70.” This group, which earned a place in reggaeton urban legend, was made up of more than 70 young people, many of them from public housing projects known for their toughness and danger.

Hector’s relationship with the criminal organization “La ONU” cemented his fearsome reputation on the streets
The “Combo de 70” was not just a group of followers, but a true personal army that accompanied Hector in each of his movements. The stories about his ability to instill fear and respect were almost mythical. When Hector “El Father” arrived at a place, he did so with a presence that went beyond music; he was a symbol of power in its rawest form. “When Hector arrived, you could feel that Hector was arriving,” recalled one of his close associates in a documentary about reggaeton. This group moved as a disciplined unit, made up of individuals with direct connections to organized crime, particularly the criminal organization known as “La ONU” (United Drug Traffickers Organization), led by Angelo Millones, one of the most feared drug traffickers in the Caribbean.

Hector’s relationship with the “Combo de 70” and the UN not only provided him with security, but also cemented his reputation as a man who didn’t just sing about street life, but lived it. The lyrics of his songs were infused with references to the reality of the street, and his association with such powerful figures as Angelo Millones only reinforced his credibility and authenticity in the genre. The “Combo de 70” not only ensured his physical protection, but also acted as an extension of his power and presence on the street, a power that was blindly respected, and in many cases, feared.

Hector confessed that fame and success could not fill the void he felt inside.
The power that Hector wielded through Combo de 70 also embroiled him in a series of controversies and conflicts. The “tiraeras” or lyrical wars that he maintained with other artists of the genre, such as Don Omar and Arcángel, were not only musical battles, but often extended to the personal and street level, where Combo de 70 played a crucial role. The influence of the combo became part of reggaeton culture, and although Hector “El Father” would eventually walk away from that life, the legacy of Combo de 70 lives on as a reminder of reggaeton’s darkest and most dangerous times.

This group, beyond their fame, symbolized the mix of music and criminality that marked the early years of reggaeton. Although Hector has left that world behind, the story of “Combo de 70” continues to be told as a fundamental chapter in the history of the genre, a chapter that reveals the complexities and dangers faced by those who seek power on both sides of the law.

Hector’s internal battle
Behind the spotlight, the crowds, and the overwhelming success, Hector “El Father” was fighting a silent and devastating battle against his own demons. Despite being one of the biggest names in reggaeton, a genre he helped popularize, his personal life was falling apart. The pressure of maintaining a public image of power and success, combined with the growing tensions in his personal and professional life, led him into a deep depression that nearly destroyed him.

Hector had reached the pinnacle of fame, but this success came at a cost. As his achievements piled up, so did the consequences of a lifestyle that took him further and further away from his essence and brought him dangerously close to the abyss. During the most intense years of his career, Hector found himself involved in a series of conflicts, both inside and outside the music industry.

In 2008, Héctor “El Father” decided to retire from music and left behind his career in reggaeton
But the real war was being waged within him. While the public saw a man at the peak of his career, Hector was fighting a darkness that consumed him from within. Fame, which had initially been his lifelong dream, became an unbearable burden. “Fame is like an addiction,” Hector explained in an interview, “it starts little by little until you realize that you are already hooked.” This addiction not only alienated him from his family, but pushed him towards an empty life, where power and money could not fill the emptiness he felt inside.

This emptiness manifested itself in desperate acts. After a shooting at a gas station in Aguada, Puerto Rico, in 2008, an event that marked a point of no return in his life, Hector attempted suicide on at least 15 occasions. In act after act, he sought to escape the pain that constantly haunted him. He tried to take his own life with a gun, jumped off a building, and tried to hang himself, but each failed attempt only plunged him deeper into despair. “Satan made me believe and see that there was a lot of power in me, but when I got home and put my head on my bed, he made me see that I had no power,” he confessed in an interview with EFE, revealing the devastating contradiction between the public image he projected and the reality he lived in private.

In the midst of this storm, Hector was also facing the collapse of his marriage and financial ruin. He had built an empire based on music, but everything he had achieved seemed to crumble around him. The riches and luxuries that had once been his pride, became reminders of an empty, purposeless life. “I forgot about my family, about happiness, and I wanted fame, and so I neglected what was my salvation,” Hector reflected, acknowledging how the relentless pursuit of success had left him alone and disoriented.

The lyrical wars between Hector and other artists of the genre often extended to the personal and street level.
The suicide attempt was not simply a cry for help, but a reflection of the abyss Hector found himself in. He had lost connection to what truly mattered, and the life he had built no longer made sense to him. However, these moments of extreme despair also marked the beginning of a profound change. Faced with his own mortality, Hector began to question everything he had valued up until that point. These suicide attempts, while tragic, were the catalyst that led him to seek a new life, one that would eventually lead him away from reggaeton and toward faith and redemption.

From fame to a religious life away from the stage
After years of living at the height of success, surrounded by luxury and seemingly limitless fame, Hector Delgado, then known as Hector “El Father,” made a decision that shocked the reggaeton world: leaving it all behind. In 2008, he announced his retirement from secular music with the release of his final album, El Juicio Final. For many, this was the end of an era in reggaeton, but for Hector, it was the beginning of a deeply personal and spiritual journey toward redemption.

The decision to abandon music was not easy or immediate. Hector had built his life around reggaeton, a genre that he himself had helped popularize in Puerto Rico and the world. His career was at its peak, but the price he had paid for that fame was devastating. The internal struggles that brought him to the brink of suicide, the disintegration of his family, and the emptiness he felt despite his achievements forced him to reevaluate what really mattered in his life. “Satan made me believe that I had a lot of power, but when I got home and laid my head on my bed, he made me see that I had no power,” Hector confessed, pointing out the moment when he began to realize the fragility of his success.

Hector acknowledged that the search for fame led him to neglect what really mattered in his life (EFE)
Hector immersed himself in a process of introspection and spiritual search that led him to embrace the Christian faith. He decided to study theology at Southern Methodist University, where he earned a degree in Divinity. It was during this period of study that Hector began to transform his life, moving away from the stage and the lights of show business to find peace in simplicity and devotion to God. “We made it clear that when I saw Christ, all the old things changed,” he explained in an interview, highlighting how religion offered him a new perspective and purpose.

Today, Hector Delgado is a completely transformed man. He has traded stages packed with fans for pulpits, the lights of the show for the light of faith, and the pursuit of power and fame for service to God and his community. His legacy in reggaeton remains, but it is his testimony of change and redemption that defines his life now. Hector has not only found peace and purpose in his new life, but he has also become a figure of inspiration for those seeking a second chance. “Now I am in the happiest and calmest stage of my life,” he said, acknowledging that fame and success cannot compare to the peace he has found in his faith and his family.