Sonny Curtis, the legendary Texas-born songwriter, guitarist, and member of Buddy Holly's backing band The Crickets, passed away Friday, at the age of 88 following a sudden illness.
His wife of more than 50 years, Louise Curtis, confirmed the news to the Associated Press, while his daughter, Sarah Curtis, shared a heartfelt message on his Facebook page: "I'm heartbroken to tell you that my dad Sonny passed away yesterday after a sudden illness. I'm so grateful that I was with him at the end, along with my mom." No further details on the specific nature of the illness have been released publicly.
Born May 9, 1937, in Meadow, Texas—a small farming community between Lubbock and Brownfield—Curtis grew up picking cotton and discovered music as an escape, forming a lifelong bond with fellow local Buddy Holly. He joined The Crickets as a teenage guitarist in 1957, contributing to early hits like "That'll Be the Day" and "Oh, Boy!" before briefly leaving to pursue solo work.
After Holly's tragic death in a 1959 plane crash, Curtis rejoined the band in 1960, helping redefine their sound on albums like In Style with the Crickets, which featured his breakout composition "I Fought the Law"—a raw, rebellious anthem dashed off in an afternoon with no particular inspiration, later immortalized by the Bobby Fuller Four and The Clash.
A Prolific Songwriting LegacyCurtis's career spanned rock, country, and pop, yielding over 300 songs and earning him induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a Cricket in 2012 (correcting an earlier oversight when Holly was honored solo). His timeless hits include:
He also released solo albums like Sonny Curtis (1970) and Spectrum (1971), blending rockabilly roots with folk influences. In later years, he toured with surviving Crickets members, collaborating with stars like Eric Clapton, Graham Nash, and Phil Everly on albums such as The Crickets and Their Buddies (2004).
Curtis was remembered as a "gentle, humble man" whose self-made path—from West Texas fields to global stages—mirrored the empowering spirit of his Mary Tyler Moore theme.