Obituary: Sonny Curtis, musician

Sonny 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. His most enduring compositions were wildly different: the raw rock ‘n’ roll classic I Fought the Law and the theme song to much-loved sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Crickets, Curtis was raised in Texas and a schoolboy friend of future bandmate Buddy Holly. He left the band before Holly became a star, but rejoined after his friend’s death in 1959.

Curtis was writing commercial jingles in 1970 when he pitched his song Love Is All Around to CBS for its new comedy about a single woman hired as a TV producer in Minneapolis. The theme was a minor hit and covered by artists as diverse as Sammy Davis jun, Joan Jett and Husker Du. Curtis made a handful of solo albums and hit the country Top 20 with the 1981 single Good Ol’ Girls. In later years, he continued to play with other members of the Crickets. He died on September 19 aged 88. — Agencies/Allied Media