Cortez was born in Rancul, La Pampa Province, Argentina, March 13, 1938.[2][3][4] At the age of six entered in the elementary school and at the same time to the conservatory Alberto Williams. He begins to compose songs at twelve, like "Un cigarrillo, la lluvia y tú". A little later entered the Junior High School Manuel Ignacio Molina de San Rafael, province of Mendoza. There he continues his studies of music in the conservatory Chopin of San Rafael.

At seventeen, Cortez became the singer of the Arizona orchestra, and he is known as Chiquito García. At eighteen, he went to study in the Social Sciences and Law School of Buenos Aires and sang in bars to help himself with his studies. Later Cortez began to sing in the orchestra of Mario Cardi and later was contracted to sing in the San Francisco jazz orchestra. With this travel over all the country. Begins to use his pseudonym "Alberto Cortez" while singing with the orchestra of Armando Pointier. Cortez dropped out school and dedicated himself fully to music.

At twenty, Cortez travelled by ship to Genova and then by train to Antwerp, Belgium. There he recorded his first record. His record "Sucu Sucu" reached number one. Cortez met Renee Govaerts and later married her. After a difficult start he consolidated himself as one of the more renowned composer-singers of Latin America with hits like "Mi árbol y yo", "Mariana", "Como el primer día", "A partir de mañana" and "Callejero".