In 1950, at the age of fifteen, he composed his first melody titled
Nunca en el Mundo (Never in the World), of which twenty-one versions in different languages have been recorded to date. The following year he began his professional career as a pianist. In 1957 he was signed as musical director by the Mexican branch of CBS International and as Musical Promoter for
EMI, becoming the next year the pianist of Latin American artists such as
Pedro Vargas,
Lucho Gatica and
Raphael. In 1970, his song "
Somos Novios" was reissued with new lyrics by
Sid Wayne, composer for
Elvis Presley. The English version, "It's Impossible", was performed by
Perry Como and was nominated for a
Grammy. In 1978 he won first place at the Mallorca Festival in Spain, with the song
Señor Amor (Mister Love). In 1982, the song
Corazón Amigo (Heart Friend), was honored at the Yamaha Festival. In 1993
Billboard magazine gave him an award for his excellent musical career. In 2011, Manzanero became President of and one of the main directors of the
Asociación Nacional de Autores y Compositores (Mexican National Association of Authors and Composers). He also served as Vice President of the association from 1982 through 2011. His work in defense of
copyright laws has strengthened this organization and has given it international acclaim. His work has been performed by singers such as
Tito Rodriguez,
Frank Sinatra,
Elvis Presley,
Shirley Bassey,
Andrea Bocelli,
Raquel Bitton,
Tony Bennett,
Laura Pausini,
Alejandro Fernández,
Perry Como,
Luis Miguel,
Franck Pourcel,
Paul Mauriat,
Ray Conniff,
María Martha Serra Lima,
Mina, Claudio Nicoletti,
Raphael,
Roberto Carlos,
Christina Aguilera,
Dionne Warwick,
Manoella Torres,
Marco Antonio Muñiz,
Angelica Maria,
José José,
Tania Libertad,
Lucero,
Cristian Castro, and
Il Divo, Carmen París, as well as with pianist
Raúl di Blasio and others. Manzanero composed more than four hundred songs, fifty of which achieved international fame. He participated in numerous radio and television shows, recorded more than thirty albums, and composed the musical scores of several movies. During the fifty years of his musical career, Manzanero gave performances all over Latin America, particularly in
São Paulo (Brazil),
Buenos Aires (Argentina), El Metropolitan (Mexico), the Teresa Carreño Theater of
Caracas (Venezuela),
Madison Square Garden (New York), and many other cities in Europe and Asia. His most famous songs include
Voy a apagar la luz (I'm Going to Turn Off the Lights),
Contigo Aprendí (With you I Learned...),
Adoro (I Adore),
No sé tú (I don't know if you...),
Por Debajo de la Mesa (Underneath the Table)
Esta Tarde Vi Llover (English version "Yesterday I Heard the Rain"),
Somos Novios (English version "It's Impossible"),
Felicidad (Happiness) and
Nada Personal (Nothing Personal). Some of his melodies have also been recorded by jazz artists, like
Bill Evans,
Abbey Lincoln, and
Tete Montoliu. ==Death==