Sonny Curtis dies at 88; former bandmate of Buddy Holly wrote one of TV's most memorable theme songs

"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 died at 88. Curtis, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Crickets in 2012, died Friday, his wife of more than a half-century, Louise Curtis, confirmed to The Associated Press."

"Curtis wrote or co-wrote hundreds of songs, from Keith Whitley's country smash I'm No Stranger to the Rain to the Everly Brothers' Walk Right Back, a personal favorite Curtis completed while in Army basic training. Bing Crosby, Glen Campbell, Bruce Springsteen and the Grateful Dead were among other artists who covered his work. Early days with Buddy Holly Born during the Great Depression to cotton farmers outside of Meadow, Texas, Curtis was a childhood friend of Buddy Holly's"

Sonny Curtis died at 88, his wife Louise Curtis confirmed and his daughter Sarah Curtis wrote on Facebook that he had been suddenly ill. Curtis wrote or co-wrote hundreds of songs, from Keith Whitley's country hit I'm No Stranger to the Rain to the Everly Brothers' Walk Right Back. Curtis was born during the Great Depression to cotton farmers outside Meadow, Texas, and was a childhood friend of Buddy Holly. He left the Crickets before Holly became a major star but rejoined after Holly's 1959 death and was featured on the album In Style, which included I Fought the Law and More Than I Can Say.

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