50 Facts About Sonny Curtis: The Man Who Fought the Law and Made It After All

When the world lost Sonny Curtis yesterday at 88, it lost one of the most quietly influential songwriters in rock and country history. From Buddy Holly’s sidekick to the voice behind the Mary Tyler Moore Show theme, Curtis filled eight decades with music that shaped generations. His songs were covered by everyone from the Clash to Joan Jett to Glen Campbell, and his words gave us permission to smile, cry, and sing along. Here are 50 facts about the remarkable life of Sonny Curtis.

1. Sonny Curtis was born on May 9, 1937, in Meadow, Texas.
2. He grew up in a musical family, with uncles who played in the Mayfield Brothers bluegrass group.
3. He met Buddy Holly when he was just 15 years old.
4. Curtis and Holly formed an early group together in the mid-1950s.
5. They opened shows for Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins.
6. Curtis played guitar on Buddy Holly’s 1956 Decca recordings.
7. He wrote Holly’s “Rock Around With Ollie Vee.”
8. He left Holly briefly to tour with Slim Whitman.
9. In 1958, he rejoined Holly and the Crickets.
10. Curtis was part of the Crickets shortly before Holly’s death in 1959.
11. After the plane crash, Curtis took over as frontman of the Crickets.
12. He wrote “I Fought the Law” in 1960 for the album In Style With the Crickets.
13. “I Fought the Law” became a hit later for the Bobby Fuller Four.
14. The Clash turned “I Fought the Law” into a punk anthem in 1979.
15. Green Day also covered “I Fought the Law.”
16. Curtis co-wrote “More Than I Can Say” with Jerry Allison.
17. Bobby Vee had a hit with “More Than I Can Say.”
18. Leo Sayer later made “More Than I Can Say” a U.S. #2 hit.
19. Curtis was drafted into the Army in 1959.
20. During basic training, he wrote “Walk Right Back.”
21. The Everly Brothers turned “Walk Right Back” into a Top 10 hit.
22. Anne Murray also charted with “Walk Right Back” in the 1970s.
23. His most famous song is “Love Is All Around,” theme for The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
24. He was given a four-page treatment of the show before writing it.
25. The first version of the song began with “How will you make it on your own?”
26. For later seasons, the lyrics were rewritten to reflect Mary’s success.
27. Curtis himself sang the Mary Tyler Moore theme.
28. The song’s lines “Who can turn the world on with her smile?” became iconic.
29. Joan Jett later recorded her own version of “Love Is All Around.”
30. Hüsker Dü also performed it.
31. Sammy Davis Jr. recorded a rendition.
32. Curtis dashed off “I Fought the Law” in a single afternoon.
33. He once called it his “most important copyright.”
34. His song “The Straight Life” was recorded by Glen Campbell.
35. Bobby Goldsboro also recorded “The Straight Life.”
36. Curtis wrote “I’m No Stranger to the Rain,” a hit for Keith Whitley.
37. Andy Williams recorded his song “A Fool Never Learns.”
38. Anne Murray recorded two Curtis songs on her 1972 album Annie.
39. He wrote “The Real Buddy Holly Story” to correct inaccuracies in the 1978 film.
40. Curtis made solo albums including Sonny Curtis and Spectrum.
41. He reached the country Top 20 in 1981 with “Good Ol’ Girls.”
42. In 1991, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
43. He entered the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2007 with the Crickets.
44. In 2012, Curtis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Crickets.
45. The Rock Hall praised the Crickets as “the blueprint for rock and roll bands.”
46. He collaborated with Eric Clapton, Graham Nash, and Phil Everly on The Crickets and Their Buddies.
47. Bing Crosby, Bruce Springsteen, and the Grateful Dead all covered his songs.
48. He lived in Nashville for much of his life with his wife Louise.
49. He and Louise were married for over 50 years and had a daughter, Sarah.
50. Curtis died peacefully on September 19, 2025 — exactly 55 years after The Mary Tyler Moore Show premiered.

Sonny Curtis gave us words and melodies that became part of the soundtrack of our lives. From the rebellious edge of “I Fought the Law” to the hope and joy of “Love Is All Around,” his songs were both timeless and universal. His passing is a loss, but his music ensures that joy, resilience, and rock and roll spirit will always be with us. Thank you, Sonny, for reminding us that love really is all around.