Married twice and has three children: Peter, Matthew and John.
Wrote a number of works of poetry, novels and plays, but never achieved equivalent success to his Jacques Brel work.
Was introduced to the music of Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel by his wife Elly Stone, who had first heard Brel's music through an acquaintance at a record company.
Served in Europe during World War II in the United States Army Signal Corps, where he wrote poems for French journals that he had translated into French.
Was a ghostwriter for sports instruction booklets on behalf of basketball player Bob Cousy and baseball's Roger Maris.
Became infatuated with the music of Belgium-born Jacques Brel and became the creator of the Off Broadway show "Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.
Born to Hungarian immigrants who were residents of Manhattan's Lower East Side.