Larry Kusik was born in 1919 on New York’s Upper East Side and grew up there and in Washington Heights and the Bronx.  Music was an important part of his young life; his family included several professional musicians (a legacy that continues in the work of favorite nephew, musician and producer Lenny Kaye).  Larry’s love of a good lyric was likely forged in childhood, after he got to perform the major-general’s patter song in an elementary school production of The Pirates of Penzance.

By the time he joined the U.S. Army, Larry was already writing poetry and lyrics — or rather, typing them, as he was a crack stenographer and typist. In World War II he served in North Africa and on the Burma Road, a notoriously grueling campaign.  For his distinguished service in WWII he was awarded the American Defense Service Medal, along with several ribbons.

A born optimist, Larry credited his wartime experience with adding resilience to his personal mix, as well as nurturing an innate curiosity about other cultures. He spoke several languages, which helped him communicate and connect with people on their terms. It also made him especially adept at writing the English versions of songs originally written in other languages. Larry was also an accomplished painter, winning numerous awards and honors when studying at the Art Students League.

Larry Kusik was a prolific lyricist and sometime composer in almost every area of popular music, with hundreds of titles to his credit. During his long career he worked with some of the most celebrated composers and lyricists of his day, including Burt Bacharach, Richard Rodney Bennet, Paul Evans, Jerry Goldsmith, Bert Kaempfert, Francis Lai, Frankie Laine, James Last, Michel Legrand, Henry Mancini, Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota, Lalo Schifrin, Eddie Snyder, and Mikis Theodorakis. His songs were recorded by a wide array of artists including Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Shirley Bassey, Vikki Carr, Shaun Cassidy, The Chiffons, Perry Como, Jan and Dean, Troy Donahue, Jose Feliciano, Eydie Gorme, Teresa Graves, Gun ‘n Roses,  Ben E. King, Trini Lopez,  Al Martino, Johnny Mathis, Rick Nelson, The Temptations, Adam Wade, Scott Walker, Andy Williams, and  Nancy Wilson, among others.

He was especially prolific in film and television, having contributed lyrics to themes from Palm Springs Weekend (“Live Young”); More Than A Miracle; Romeo and Juliet (“A Time For Us”); Rosemary’s Baby (“Rosemary’s Lullaby, also known as “Sleep Safe and Warm”); The Godfather (“Speak Softly Love” and “Come Live Your Life With Me”/The Godfather Waltz); Serpico (“Beyond Tomorrow”); The Godfather, Part II (“Love Said Goodbye”); Murder on the Orient Express (“Silky”); Once Is Not Enough (Title song); Bloodline (“If Not for You); Star Trek: The Motion PIcture (“A Star Beyond Time”); Mommie Dearest (“Bittersweet”); Shogun; A Woman Called Golda (“Some Day”); The Winds of War (Title song), and Falling in Love, among many others.

In 1969, he was nominated along with co-lyricist Eddie Snyder and composer Nino Rota for a Grammy (Song of the Year) for “A Time for Us” (Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet).  His other awards include a 1967 Freedoms Foundation Award for “Lady”; an ASCAP Country Western Award for “When the Snow is on the Roses,” which hit #1 on the Billboard Country charts; a BMI Award for “Lady,”; and an ASCAP Award for “Speak Softly Love.”

Kusik met his wife Maggie in the Brill Building, having stopped in one day at the offices of Famous Music, where she worked at the time. Together they raised her two children and stayed happily married until his death in 2011.