Sonny Curtis (born May 9, 1937) is an American singer and songwriter. Known for his collaborations with Buddy Holly, he was a member of the Crickets and continued with the band after Holly’s death. Curtis’s best known compositions include “Walk Right Back“, a major hit in 1961 for the Everly Brothers; “I Fought the Law“, notably covered by the Bobby Fuller Four and the Clash; and “Love is All Around,” the theme song for The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Curtis was born in Meadow, Texas, United States. As a guitarist, he played on some of Buddy Holly’s earlier 1956 Decca sessions, including the minor hit “Blue Days Black Nights” and a song he wrote, “Rock Around With Ollie Vee”. In 1955 and 1956 he, along with Buddy Holly, opened concerts for rising new star Elvis Presley. Although he had gone on the road with other musicians by the time Buddy Holly put together the Crickets in 1957, Curtis joined the Crickets in late 1958, shortly before Holly’s death in 1959, and soon took over the lead vocalist role in addition to lead guitar. The Crickets’ post-Holly recordings were put on hold after Holly’s death, and Curtis was drafted in late 1959. During basic training, he was given a three-day pass and met the Crickets’ drummer, Jerry Allison, who was then playing with the Everly Brothers, in Los Angeles. Curtis played him the song “Walk Right Back“, which Allison had him immediately take to the Everlys; they recorded the song that weekend and were later rewarded with a Billboard top 10 hit. The song was also a hit in 1978 for Anne Murray.