Sonny Curtis

Sonny Curtis (May 9, 1937 – September 19, 2025) was an American singer and songwriter. Known for his collaborations with Buddy Holly, he was a member of the Crickets and continued with the band after Holly's death in 1959. He is a member of three music Halls of Fame including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Curtis's best known compositions include "Walk Right Back", a major hit in 1961 for the Everly Brothers; "I Fought the Law", notably covered by the Bobby Fuller Four, the Clash, and Green Day; "Love is All Around", the theme song for The Mary Tyler Moore Show; "More Than I Can Say", co-written with The Crickets' drummer Jerry Allison and a hit for Leo Sayer in 1980, and "I'm No Stranger to the Rain", a No. 1 Country hit for Keith Whitley in 1989.

Life and career Curtis was born in Meadow, Texas, United States on May 9, 1937. His parents were cotton farmers, Sonny Curtis was their sixth and last child. His roots were in bluegrass music, he learned the guitar at a young age from his uncles, Smokey, Herb and Edd Mayfield, who had their own bluegrass band, The Mayfield Brothers. Curtis' own first band was drawn from his two older brothers and was bluegrass in style.

As a guitarist, he played on some of Buddy Holly's earlier 1956 Decca sessions, including the minor hit "Blue Days Black Nights" and a song he wrote, "Rock Around With Ollie Vee". Although he had gone on the road with other musicians by the time Buddy Holly put together the Crickets in 1957, Curtis joined the Crickets in late 1958, shortly before Holly's death in 1959, and soon took over the lead vocalist role in addition to lead guitar. During basic training, he was given a three-day pass and met the Crickets' drummer, Jerry Allison, who was then playing with the Everly Brothers, in Los Angeles. Curtis played him the song "Walk Right Back", which Allison had him immediately take to the Everlys; they recorded the song that weekend and were later rewarded with a Billboard top 10 hit. He continued to record and perform intermittently as part of the band over six decades, most recently in their album The Crickets and their Buddies (2004), where they reprised most of their hits with help from many noted fellow musicians. Curtis left the Crickets several times to pursue his solo career, but even during those periods made occasional guest appearances, in performance and on record, with the Crickets. A less conventional cover version was recorded by the Irish actor Colin Farrell, used during the end credits of the 2003 film Intermission. Curtis did not greatly benefit from his own performance of "I Fought the Law" but he could at least enjoy the royalties rolling in. He said it only took him 15 minutes to write: "It's my most important copyright." Curtis also co-wrote the 1989 Country Song of the Year, "I'm No Stranger to the Rain", recorded by Keith Whitley. Anne Murray also recorded the Sonny Curtis songs "I Like Your Music" and "You Made My Life a Song" on her 1972 LP Annie.

In 1991, Sonny Curtis was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2007, Curtis was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, as a member of the Crickets. In 2012, Curtis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Crickets (along with Allison, bassist Joe B. Mauldin, and rhythm guitarist Niki Sullivan) by a special committee, to make amends for the Crickets having been rebuffed and not included with Buddy Holly when Holly was first inducted in 1986.

On February 6, 2016, Curtis performed at the Crickets' farewell concert at the Surf Lake Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, the venue of Holly's last performance before his death.

Personal life and death Curtis married Louise Halverson in 1970; the couple had a daughter, Sarah, and lived on a Tennessee cattle farm. Sarah Curtis published a memoir about the relationship with her "loving but cryptic" father, Daughter of a Song, in September 2025.

Curtis died from pneumonia at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 19, 2025, at the age of 88.

Discography Albums Year Album US Country US Canada Country 1964 "A Beatle I Want to Be"b/w "A Pretty Girl" — — — 1966 "My Way of Life"b/w "Last Call" 49 134 — The 1st of Sonny Curtis "Destiny's Child"b/w "The Collector" — — — 1967 "I Wanna Go Bummin' Around"b/w "I'm a Gypsy Man" 50 — — 1968 "Atlanta Georgia Stray"b/w "Day Drinker" 36 120 — The Sonny Curtis Style "The Straight Life"b/w "How Little Men Care" 45 — — 1970 "Love Is All Around"b/w "Here, There and Everywhere" — — — single only 1971 "Day Gig"b/w "Holiday for Clowns" — — — The Sonny Curtis Style "Hung Up in Your Eyes"b/w "Girl of the North" — — — 1972 "Lights of L.A."b/w "Sunny Mornin'" — — — singles only 1973 "Rock'n Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)"b/w "My Momma Sure Left Me Some Good Old Days" — — — 1974 "Unsaintly Judy"b/w "You Don't Belong in This Place" — — — 1975 "Lovesick Blues"b/w "It's Only a Question of Time" 78 — — 1976 "Where's Patricia Now"b/w "It's Only a Question of Time" — — — "Where's Patricia Now"b/w "When It's Just You and Me" — — — 1979 "The Cowboy Singer"b/w "Cheatin' Clouds" 77 — — Sonny Curtis 1980 "Do You Remember Roll Over Beethoven"b/w "Walk Right Back" 86 — — "The Real Buddy Holly Story"b/w "Ain't Nobody Honest" 38 — 20 Love Is All Around "Love Is All Around"b/w "The Clone Song" 29 — — "You Made My Life a Song"b/w "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" 70 — — 1981 "Good Ol' Girls"b/w "So Used to Loving You" 15 — — Rollin' "Married Women"b/w "I Live Your Music" 33 — — 1985 "I Think I'm in Love"b/w "There's a Whole Lot Less to Me Than Meets the Eye" — — — singles only 1986 "Now I've Got a Heart of Gold" 69 — —