Gerson Rodrigues Côrtes, known as Gerson King Combo, was born on November 30, 1943, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was a soul and funk singer and songwriter who began his career at age 17 as a voice actor and dancer before transitioning to singing, inspired by American black music. In the late 1960s, Côrtes joined Formula 7, a popular dance group, and released four studio albums between 1968 and 1970. He adopted the stage name Gerson King Combo during international tours with Wilson Simonal, influenced by jazz artist King Curtis. In 1977 and 1978, he released his most successful albums, Gerson King Combo and Gerson King Combo II, which featured hits like "Mandamentos Black" and "God Save the King". These albums achieved radio success and popularity in dance venues. After a hiatus from music, Côrtes returned to performing in the late 1990s and released two more albums. He passed away on September 22, 2020.
