Sonny Curtis, Legendary Rock ‘n’ Roller and Songwriter, Dies at 88
Sonny Curtis, a vintage rock ‘n’ roller who wrote the raw classic “I Fought the Law” and posed the enduring question “Who can turn the world on with her smile?” as the writer-crooner of the theme song to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” has passed away at the age of 88. His wife, Louise Curtis, confirmed his death to The Associated Press, while his daughter, Sarah Curtis, shared on his Facebook page that he had been suddenly ill.
Curtis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Crickets in 2012. Throughout his career, he wrote or co-wrote hundreds of songs, including Keith Whitley’s country smash “I’m No Stranger to the Rain” and the Everly Brothers’ “Walk Right Back.” His work was covered by numerous artists, such as Bing Crosby, Glen Campbell, Bruce Springsteen, and the Grateful Dead.
Early Days with Buddy Holly
Curtis was born during the Great Depression to cotton farmers outside of Meadow, Texas. He was a childhood friend of Buddy Holly’s and an active musician in the formative years of rock. Curtis’ songwriting touch emerged early, as he wrote the hit “Someday” for Webb Pierce and “Rock Around With Ollie Vee” for Holly before he turned 20.
Curtis had left Holly’s group, the Crickets, before Holly became a major star. However, he returned after Holly died in a plane crash in 1959 and was featured on the album “In Style with the Crickets,” which included “I Fought the Law” and the Jerry Allison collaboration “More Than I Can Say.”
‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’
Curtis’ other signature song was as uplifting as “I Fought the Law” was resigned. In 1970, he came up with the theme for a new CBS sitcom starring Mary Tyler Moore as a single woman hired as a TV producer in Minneapolis. The song, “Love is All Around,” featured a smooth melody and indelible lyrics, including “Who can turn the world on with her smile? / Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?”
The song’s endurance was sealed by the images it was heard over, especially Moore’s triumphant toss of her hat as Curtis proclaims, “You’re going to make it after all.” The song was later covered by artists such as Sammy Davis Jr., Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and Minnesota’s Hüsker Dü.
Curtis would recall being commissioned by his friend Doug Gilmore, a music industry road manager, to write the theme song. He met with show co-creator James L. Brooks and played the song, which was initially met with a lukewarm response. However, Brooks eventually warmed up to the song, and it became a hit.
Later Life
Curtis made a handful of solo albums, including “Sonny Curtis” and “Spectrum,” and hit the country Top 20 with the 1981 single “Good Ol’ Girls.” In later years, he continued to play with Allison and other members of the Crickets, releasing several albums, including “The Crickets and Their Buddies,” featuring appearances by Eric Clapton, Graham Nash, and Phil Everly.
Curtis settled in Nashville in the mid-1970s and lived there with his wife, Louise. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1991 and, as part of the Crickets, into Nashville’s Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007. Five years later, he and the Crickets were inducted into the Rock Hall, praised as “the blueprint for rock and roll bands (that) inspired thousands of kids to start up garage bands around the world.”
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