Sonny Curtis, frontman of Buddy Holly’s band The Crickets and writer of classic songs, including the Mary Tyler Moore Show theme, has died.
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According to the New York Times, Curtis passed away on Friday from pneumonia at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.
His daughter, Sarah, confirmed the sad news on Facebook. “I’m heartbroken to tell you that my dad, Sonny, passed away yesterday after a sudden illness,” she wrote. “I’m so grateful that I was with him at the end, along with my mom.”
“It was peaceful, and he didn’t suffer,” she added.
“He was 88 and he lived a more exceptional life than anyone I’d ever met,” Sarah added. “He made a mark on this world, and he made a mark on the hearts of all who knew him. It’s a sad day, but what a life. May we look at his life with joy rather than sadness. He would have wanted that.”
In Memoriam: 2012 Inductee Sonny Curtis joined the Crickets after Buddy Holly’s death in 1959, allowing the group to evolve from being Holly's backing musicians to becoming a successful, self-contained band. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/FhnxPfu1Oa
— Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (@rockhall) September 20, 2025
Born on May 9, 1937, in Meadow, Texas, Curtis learned guitar early from his uncles, members of the Mayfield Brothers musical group.
Curtis met Buddy Holly at 15. They formed a band and opened for Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and Carl Perkins. Curtis played guitar on Holly’s songs, including “Blue Days Black Nights” and “Rock Around With Ollie Vee,” which he also wrote.
Sonny Curtis Joined The Crickets Shortly Before Buddy Holly’s Death in 1959
Curtis officially joined Holly’s band, The Crickets, in 1958. Holly died in a plane crash at age 22 in February 1959, shortly after Curtis joined the band.
After Holly’s death, Curtis became the frontman for The Crickets. Their first album without Holly, In Style With the Crickets, featured Curtis’ song “I Fought the Law.” This song later became a hit for The Bobby Fuller Four when they covered it in 1966.
Curtis also wrote “Walk Right Back,” a hit for The Everly Brothers, and “More Than I Can Say,” which found further success when covered by Bobby Vee and Leo Sayer.
In 1970, Curtis wrote and performed “Love Is All Around,” the iconic theme song for The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which aired for seven years on CBS.
Curtis continued to write and perform as a solo artist and with The Crickets. Other hits he penned include “The Straight Life” (Glen Campbell), “A Fool Never Learns” (Andy Williams), and “I’m No Stranger to the Rain” (Keith Whitley).
Curtis entered the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Nashville Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007. In 2012, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Crickets, alongside drummer Jerry Allison, bassist Joe B. Mauldin, and rhythm guitarist Niki Sullivan.
Curtis is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Louise, and their daughter.