Manny Lehman is a native New Yorker, born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. From the time he was young, he took to rhythm driven music and when he was old enough, he frequented clubs such as the Paradise Garage, Studio 54, and the Starship. It was at the Paradise Garage that he discovered the sounds of Larry Levan and his enthusiasm for the DJ and music was solidified. Lehman worked at the famous New York record shop, Vinyl Mania, selling records to the likes of Hex Hector and Junior Vasquez. He started doing remixes for the Vinyl Mania label as well as Polydor. In the early to mid-'80s, Lehman DJed at New York hot spots like the Palladium and Fun House. The experience and knowledge he gained from pushing records lead to a job as Director of Dance Promotions for A&M Records.

In 1989, Lehman moved to Los Angeles to explore the music scene on the West Coast and dive further into the business side of the music industry. Disenchanted with how it was evolving, Lehman returned to DJing and focused on building that aspect of his career. Through playing larger parties in California, the gigs started flowing and he became a staple in the gay party circuit. Forming a formal business partnership with big-time promoter Jeffrey Sanker, Lehman landed gigs at such big events like the White Party in Palm Springs and forming the Los Angeles-based Orbit parties. In the early '90s, Lehman discovered singer Ce Ce Peniston and signed her to A&M records once he was given titled of A&R director. He executive produced her club-hit track "Finally" and has also worked with Amy Grant, Sting, and Sounds of Blackness. In 1999, Lehman started releasing his own mix CDs with A Night in Orbit, in conjunction with his L.A. Orbit nights. A year later he followed it with Circuit Sessions, Vol. 1 and early in 2001 he was at the helm of the fourth installment of the DJ mix series.