Reservoir Announces New Deal for the Catalog of Lyricist Larry Kusik
March 29 2022 - 8:00AM
Reservoir Media, Inc. (NASDAQ: RSVR) (“Reservoir” or the
“Company”), an award-winning independent music company, today
announced a new deal for the catalog of the late lyricist Larry
Kusik, best known for his collaborations on theme songs from
blockbuster films like The Godfather and Romeo and Juliet.
Kusik was a prolific lyricist whose works can be heard in some
of the most iconic films released during the 1960s and 1970s. He
notably penned the lyrics for “Speak Softly Love,” the lyricized
theme from 3x-Academy Award-winning film The Godfather, which
celebrated its 50th anniversary this month and is widely recognized
as one of the greatest films of all time. “Speak Softly Love” won
Kusik an ASCAP award and was recorded by several artists, with Andy
Williams’ version climbing to #34 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Additionally, Kusik co-wrote the lyrics for “A Time For Us,”
which first appeared in the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet. The
track was nominated for a Grammy and has been recorded by many
artists over the years, including Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis, and
Stevie Wonder. Kusik also wrote the lyrics for “Once Is Not Enough”
by Henry Mancini, from the 1975 romance film of the same name. In
addition to these titles, Kusik contributed lyrics to themes from
countless other films, including Palm Springs Weekend, Rosemary’s
Baby, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Murder on the Orient Express,
Mommie Dearest, and many more.
The Reservoir deal includes a mix of both publisher’s and
writer’s shares for Kusik, who worked with some of the most
celebrated composers and lyricists of his day, including Burt
Bacharach, Richard Rodney Bennet, Paul Evans, and more. His
collaborations also earned industry recognitions, including a 1967
Freedoms Foundation Award and a BMI Award for “Lady” from the 1998
film Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss, as well as an ASCAP Country
Award for #1 country charting song “When the Snow Is On the
Roses.”
Born in New York City in 1919, Kusik came from a family
comprised of several professional musicians. He was deeply
influenced by his time serving in North Africa and on the Burma
Road during World War II, and was awarded the American Defense
Service Medal and several ribbons for his distinguished service.
Kusik spoke several languages, which contributed to his skill in
communicating and connecting with people across the globe.
Reservoir Founder and Chief Executive Officer Golnar
Khosrowshahi said, “Larry penned lyrics to widely popular, moving
music that has captured hearts for generations, particularly
through film. We are proud to continue his legacy and introduce
these evergreen songs to new listeners.”
“I’m so glad my father’s catalog has found a new home with the
passionate team at Reservoir,” Thomas Glass, Kusik’s son, also
commented. “He always had a real reverence for the Great American
Songbook and would be proud to know his catalog sits alongside the
likes of Hoagy Carmichael’s and Dorothy Fields’, as well as the
many young, talented writers on the Reservoir roster, especially
those from his hometown of New York. I know Reservoir will support
his legacy, so his music can continue to inspire.”
ABOUT RESERVOIR
Reservoir is an independent music company based
in New York City and with offices in Los Angeles, Nashville,
Toronto, London, and Abu Dhabi. Reservoir is the first U.S.-based
publicly traded independent music company and the first female
founded and led publicly traded music company in the U.S. Founded
as a family-owned music publisher in 2007, Reservoir has grown to
represent over 140,000 copyrights and 36,000 master recordings with
titles dating as far back as 1900 and hundreds of #1 releases
worldwide. Reservoir holds a regular Top 10 U.S. Market Share
according to Billboard’s Publishers Quarterly, was twice named
Publisher of the Year by Music Business Worldwide’s The A&R
Awards, and won Independent Publisher of the Year at the 2020 Music
Week Awards.
Reservoir also represents a multitude of
recorded music through Chrysalis Records, Tommy Boy Records, and
Philly Groove Records and manages artists through its ventures with
Blue Raincoat Music and Big Life Management.
Source: Reservoir Media, Inc.
Media Contact
Reservoir Media, Inc.
Suzy Arrabito
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
sa@reservoir-media.com
www.reservoir-media.com
Investor Contact
Alpha IR Group
Jackie Marcus or David Freund
RSVR@alpha-ir.com
Reservoir Media (NASDAQ:RSVR)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024
Reservoir Media (NASDAQ:RSVR)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024