Manzanero, who was 85, died in a hospital in Mexico City, the Mexican Authors and Composers Association confirmed to CNN. He was hospitalized in mid-December after testing positive for Covid-19, CNN reported at the time.
Manzanero was a prolific composer, with more than 600 songs to his credit, according to the association. His songs have been performed by artists from around the world, including Elvis Presley, Dionne Warwick, Perry Como, Spanish singer Raphael and fellow Mexican star Luis Miguel.
The Latin Recording Academy, which awards the Latin Grammys, expressed its condolences. “Armando Manzanero received the Award for Musical Excellence and was the winner of the Latin Grammy, as well as a great friend who is now gone,” the organization said.
“We celebrate his life and work. An irreplaceable loss to the Latin American music world. We are with the Manzanero family in their grief.”
Manzanero won a Latin Grammy in 2001 for his album “Duets”.
He went on to win a Lifetime Achievement award in 2014, becoming the first Mexican to receive this honor.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador expressed his condolences.
“Armando Manzanero was a sensitive man, a man of the people. That’s why I regret his death,” he said at a news conference on Monday. “He was also a great composer.”
Manzanero will be cremated in Mexico City and his remains will be taken to his hometown of Merida, Yucatan state.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Mexico has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with 1,383,434 coronavirus cases and 122,426 deaths.