Played baseball and football with childhood acquaintance Stanley Kubrick while growing up in New York City.
Member of the SAC (Social Athletic Club) known as the Barracudas as a teenager growing up in The Bronx. Would later be introduced to director Stanley Kubrick by mutual acquaintance Alexander Singer.
In October 2013, he received Lifetime Achievement Golden Pine Award at the International Samobor Film Music Festival (ISFMF), along with Clint Eastwood and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Was a strong supporter of the fight against AIDS. His 5-year-old son Zack died of AIDS in 1987.
Busy composer for TV, best remembered for his contribution to Star Trek (1966) and the score for the miniseries Roots (1977).
Attended New York's High School of Music and Art. Later studied oboe at the Juilliard School of Music.