September 21, 2025

Sonny Curtis, the vibrant rock 'n' roll star who gave us the gritty hit "I Fought the Law" and the unforgettable tune "Who can turn the world on with her smile?" from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, has passed away at 88. His wife Louise Curtis confirmed his death on Friday, and their daughter Sarah said he fell suddenly ill. Born in tough times during the Great Depression, in a small Texas town near Meadow, Sonny was childhood friends with Buddy Holly himself! Together in the 1950s, they strummed guitars and dreamed big. Before Buddy became a global icon, Sonny had already written hits like "Someday" for Webb Pierce and "Walk Right Back" for the Everly Brothers, even finishing the latter while in Army basic training. Though Sonny left Buddy Holly’s group, The Crickets, before Holly skyrocketed to fame, he returned after Holly's tragic 1959 plane crash. In 1960, Sonny lit up the album "In Style with the Crickets" which featured legendary tracks like "I Fought the Law"—a song he whipped up in just one afternoon with no real inspiration—and "More Than I Can Say," later made famous by Bobby Vee and Leo Sayer. The magic of "I Fought the Law" really caught fire in 1966 when the Bobby Fuller Four turned it into a Top 10 smash. Since then, this rock anthem echoed across decades, embraced by punk legends The Clash, country stars Johnny Cash and Nanci Griffith, and rock giants Springsteen and Tom Petty. Sonny didn't just rest on hits; he rocked solo albums like "Sonny Curtis" and "Spectrum," scoring country chart success with "Good Ol' Girls" in 1981. Later, he jammed with The Crickets again, creating albums featuring music royalty like Eric Clapton and Graham Nash. One of his bold moves was "The Real Buddy Holly Story," a sharp reply to the 1978 movie about Buddy Holly. Since the mid-1970s, Sonny made Nashville his home with Louise. His excellence earned him a spot in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1991, Nashville's Musicians Hall of Fame in 2007 with The Crickets, and finally, in 2012, the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Crickets were hailed as pioneers "inspiring thousands of kids to start garage bands everywhere." Sonny Curtis’s music and spirit will live on forever in the heart of rock 'n' roll.

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Tags: Sonny curtis, I fought the law, The crickets, Buddy holly, Rock and roll hall of fame, Nashville songwriters,