Óscar Golden

Óscar Golden
Birth name	Óscar Isaac Goldenberg Jiménez
Born	(1946-09-16)16 September 1946 Calarcá, Quindío Department, Colombia
Died	29 August 2008(2008-08-29) (aged 61) Bogotá, Colombia
Genres	New wave music
Occupations	Guitarist singer-songwriter
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Years active	1965–2008
Labels	Discos Fuentes FM Discos y Cintas Sony Music
Spouse	Andrea del Pilar Luna ​ ​ (m. 1990)​

Óscar Isaac Goldenmberg Jiménez (September 16, 1946 - July 29, 2008), better known by his stage name Óscar Golden, was a Colombian singer-songwriter and musician belonging to the so-called "New Wave" of Latin American music, which hit Colombia in 1971.

Biography

A birth certificate states that Golden was born in Calarcá on September 16, 1947 and lists his given name as Óscar Hernán Osorio Jiménez and biological parents as Nestor Osorio Garrido and Fanny Jiménez. During his childhood, after an accidental game with his brother, he falls from the second floor to the first floor but remains unharmed when he falls on a neighbor. His father dies and his mother Fanny moves with Óscar and her three other children to Cali where she meets the doctor Bension Goldenmberg, a Jewish immigrant doctor, whom she marries and Goldemberg adopts his wife's children.

Another biography omits Golden's origin in Calarcá, claiming to be the son of Goldemberg and to have been born in Cali on September 16, 1947 (one year after what his birth certificate states). In Cali, Golden and his brother Alberto studied up to 4th grade, and graduated from high school at St. Joseph College in Boston. Golden studied two semesters of medicine at the Universidad del Valle but dropped out to dedicate himself to music. He then settled in Bogotá trying to study medicine, for just one semester, but met Harold Orozco who introduced him to the presenter Alfonso Lizarazo on the radio station Radio 15 with the condition that he receive 40 letters from fans encouraging him in his career in order to qualify. Golden secretly wrote 39 of those 40 required letters.

Golden's parents were against his career, and in response to his repeated decision to become a singer, all financial support was withdrawn and Golden had to go through various difficulties sleeping at the homes of several friends. The radio station organized a contest called 'The show of the frenetics' and his friends managed to collect almost 3000 letters of support for Golden, marking the definitive beginning of his career by winning the contest. The Goldembergs accepted Golden's career and Dr. Goldemberg bought him a guitar when he traveled to Bogotá, but Golden was unable to learn to play it, and it was ultimately Orozco who used it in the recording of several of his songs.

The Goldembergs had one daughter, Diana Goldemberg, who also pursued an acting career, which she achieved in Mexico and also received Mexican citizenship. Golden legalized his name in 1981 through a civil court, finally calling himself Oscar Isaac Goldemberg Jimenez. Golden became a successful singer thanks to songs such as Romance entre el cacique y la cautiva; Embriágame; Zapatos de Pom-Pom; Boca de chicle.

Golden dedicated 40 years of artistic life and also visited 15 countries during his tours.

Death

Following a concert in Cali on May 3, 2008, Goldemberg fainted on his way home to Bogotá. Upon being taken to the El Country clinic, he was diagnosed with liver cancer, which was already advanced, as Golden believed it was simply abdominal pain. Surgery did not help and he received palliative care. Golden died at the El Country clinic in Bogotá in the early hours of July 29, 2008 after battling liver and pancreatic cancer that were detected two months before his 62nd birthday. His remains were laid to rest at the Cristo Rey funeral home and later cremated at the Jardines de Paz cemetery. His ashes were thrown into the Sisga Dam.

Personal Life

During an affair with a Mexican woman, Golden had a son whom he named Oscar but stopped seeing when he was 11 years old. Golden married Andrea del Pilar Luna with whom he had no children but whom he designated as his heir.

Discography

• 1965 Estudio 15 Presenta (Estudio 15)
• 1967 Óscar Golden 67 (Estudio 15)
• 1973 Óscar Golden (CBS Records)
• 1974 Señora Mía (Caytronics)
• 1976 Especialmente Para Tí
• 1979 Golden Hit's
• 1982 Llorando Me Dormí
• Disco de Oro
• Vivo Cantando
• Oyeme

Filmography

• Bajo el ardiente sol (1971)- Manuel

External links

• Tribute to Óscar Golden
• Expediente Final: Óscar Golden