Sonny Curtis
Biography
Sonny Curtis (May 9, 1937 – September 19, 2025) was 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 in 1959. He is a member of three music Halls of Fame including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 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, the Clash, and Green Day; "Love is All Around", the theme song for The Mary Tyler Moore Show; "More Than I Can Say", co-written with The Crickets' drummer Jerry Allison and a hit for Leo Sayer in 1980, and "I'm No Stranger to the Rain", a #1 Country hit for Keith Whitley in 1989. Curtis died from pneumonia at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 19, 2025, at the age of 88.
Known For & Full Filmography6 Titles
Drama Series - 1997, 16 episodes • as Self
A documentary series about pop and rock albums that are considered the best or most distinctive of a well-known band or musician or that exemplify a stage in the history of music.
Movie - 1965, 2h 15m • as Self
The girls of Alpha Beta need to raise $10,000 in two weeks to save the sorority house. Among their schemes to raise the funds are a beauty contest, a newspaper puzzle, and a baking contest. But when three guys hit the beach with love on their minds, bragging that they know the Beatles, the girls plan a concert with the Fab Four as the main attraction.
Movie - 1993, 2h 15m • as Self
Now recognized as one of the best electric guitars ever designed, Leo Fender's Stratocaster is a vital ingredient of American popular culture. Its completely unconventional design and construction have rendered it the most copied of all modern electric guitars. This documentary celebrates 40 years of the history of the Fender Stratocaster.
Movie - 1985, 2h 15m • as Self
This is the definitive video biography of rock 'n roll legend Buddy Holly. Produced and hosted by former Beatle, Paul McCartney, includes interviews with Keith Richards, Phil and Don Everly, Sonny Curtis, Jerry Allison, Holly's family, and McCartney himself, among others.
Movie - 2019, 2h 15m • as Self
Among the first half-dozen debuts by rock ’n’ roll’s original founders, more significantly it was the first rock album credited to a band rather than a solo artist, as well as a landmark in the history of independent recording methods. Crowned by four of Holly and The Crickets’ best-loved and biggest-selling singles - That’ll Be the Day, Not Fade Away, Maybe Baby and Oh, Boy! - The Chirping Crickets was one of only two albums Buddy Holly recorded in his tragically brief career.
Movie - 2017, 2h 15m • as Self
Documentary following the life of rock 'n' roll legend Buddy Holly.