Sonny Curtis, Crickets Veteran & ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ Theme Writer, Dead at 88
Sonny Curtis, a seminal figure in early rock-and-roll and a prolific songwriter who fronted The Crickets after Buddy Holly’s death, has died at the age of 88. The news was confirmed by his family on September 19, 2025, following a sudden illness.
Early Life and Rise with Buddy Holly
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Curtis was born May 9, 1937, in Meadow, Texas.
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From a young age, music was part of his life—he learned guitar early, played with friends, and became acquainted with Buddy Holly in their youth.
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He played on some early Buddy Holly recordings and wrote songs even before turning 20. One of his early compositions was “Rock Around With Ollie Vee.”
Joining The Crickets & Key Songs
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Curtis officially joined The Crickets in late 1958, just before Buddy Holly’s tragic death in 1959. After Holly passed, Curtis became a driving voice in the band.
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Among his most famous songs is “I Fought the Law”, which The Crickets helped popularize; it later became a hit under other artists and was covered by many acts across genres.
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Other notable compositions include “Walk Right Back” (Everly Brothers), “More Than I Can Say” (hit for Bobby Vee, later Leo Sayer), and “I’m No Stranger to the Rain” (Keith Whitley).
“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” Theme & Cultural Impact
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Perhaps what many remember Curtis for is writing and performing the theme song to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, titled “Love Is All Around.”
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The theme’s lyrics — “Who can turn the world on with her smile? Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?” — captured a mood of optimism, independence and change, matching the show’s spirit of a single woman starting fresh in a profession largely dominated by men.
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The song’s enduring qualities have made it an iconic television theme. Over the years Curtis recorded two versions; the one used from Season 2 onwards became especially well-known.
Later Years, Honors & Legacy
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Curtis continued to write, record, and perform throughout his life. He also released solo albums, and The Crickets persisted in various lineups.
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He was inducted into several halls of fame: the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1991), the Musicians Hall of Fame (2007), and alongside The Crickets into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.
Personal Life and Death
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Sonny Curtis was married to Louise Curtis; they had a daughter, Sarah.
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He died September 19, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee, at 88. The cause was a sudden illness (some reports mention pneumonia).
Significance
Sonny Curtis’s importance in music is multifaceted:
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He bridged the early era of rock & roll into later pop and country forms.
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Songs like “I Fought the Law” have had a life well beyond their original contexts, showing how Curtis’s work could adapt across generations and genres.
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The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme remains one of television’s most beloved signatures, emblematic of cultural shifts in the 1970s around gender, work, and independence.
His death marks the passing of someone who not only witnessed but helped shape key moments in popular music and television history.
