Sonny Curtis, Crickets Member Who Penned ‘Mary Tyler Moore Show’ Theme, Dies at 88

Sonny Curtis, a vintage stone ‘n’ roller who wrote the earthy classical “I Fought the Law” and posed the enduring question “Who tin crook the satellite connected with her smile?” arsenic the writer-crooner of the taxable opus to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, has died astatine 88.

Curtis, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame arsenic a subordinate of The Crickets successful 2012, died Friday (Sept. 19), his woman of much than a half-century, Louise Curtis, confirmed to The Associated Press. His daughter, Sarah Curtis, wrote connected his Facebook leafage that helium had been abruptly ill.

Curtis wrote oregon co-wrote hundreds of songs, from Keith Whitley’s state smash “I’m No Stranger to the Rain” to The Everly Brothers’ “Walk Right Back,” a idiosyncratic favourite Curtis completed portion successful Army basal training. Bing Crosby, Glen Campbell, Bruce Springsteen and the Grateful Dead were among different artists who covered his work.

Born during the Great Depression to fabric farmers extracurricular of Meadow, Texas, Curtis was a puerility person of Buddy Holly’s and an progressive instrumentalist successful the formative years of rock, whether jamming connected guitar with Holly successful the mid-1950s oregon opening for Elvis Presley erstwhile Elvis was inactive a determination act. Curtis’ songwriting interaction besides soon emerged: Before helium turned 20, helium had written the deed “Someday” for Webb Pierce and “Rock Around With Ollie Vee” for Holly.

Curtis had near Holly’s group, the Crickets, earlier Holly became a large star. But helium returned aft Holly died successful a level clang successful 1959 and helium was featured the pursuing twelvemonth connected the medium In Style with the Crickets, which included “I Fought the Law” (dashed disconnected successful a azygous afternoon, according to Curtis, who would accidental helium had nary nonstop inspiration for the song) and the Jerry Allison collaboration “More Than I Can Say,” a deed for Bobby Vee, and aboriginal for Leo Sayer.

Meanwhile, it took until 1966 for “I Fought the Law” and its now-immortal refrain “I fought the instrumentality — and the instrumentality won” to drawback on: The Texas-based Bobby Fuller Four made it a Top 10 song. Over the pursuing decades, it was covered by dozens of artists, from punk (the Clash) to state (Johnny Cash, Nanci Griffith) to Springsteen, Tom Petty and different mainstream stone stars.

“It’s my astir important copyright,” Curtis told The Tennessean successful 2014.

Curtis’ different signature opus was arsenic uplifting arsenic “I Fought the Law” was resigned. In 1970, helium was penning commercialized jingles erstwhile helium came up with the taxable for a caller CBS sitcom starring Moore arsenic a azygous pistillate hired arsenic a TV shaper successful Minneapolis. He called the opus “Love is All Around,” and utilized a creaseless melody to yet service up lyrics arsenic indelible arsenic immoderate successful tv history:

“Who tin crook the satellite connected with her smile?/ Who tin instrumentality a thing day, and abruptly marque it each look worthwhile?/ Well it’s you girl, and you should cognize it/ With each glimpse and each small question you amusement it.”

The song’s endurance was sealed by the images it was heard over, particularly Moore’s triumphant flip of her chapeau arsenic Curtis proclaims, “You’re going to marque it aft all.” In tribute, different artists began signaling it, including Sammy Davis Jr., Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Minnesota’s Hüsker Dü. A commercialized merchandise featuring Curtis came retired successful 1980 and was a humble success, peaking astatine No. 29 connected Billboard’s state chart.

Curtis would callback being commissioned by his person Doug Gilmore, a euphony manufacture roadworthy manager who had heard the sitcom’s developers were looking for an opening song.

“Naturally I said yes, and aboriginal that morning, helium dropped disconnected a four-page format — you cognize ‘Girl from the Midwest, moves to Minneapolis, gets a occupation successful a newsroom, can’t spend her flat etc.,’ which gave maine the spirit of what it was each about,” said Curtis, who soon met with amusement co-creator (and aboriginal Oscar-winning filmmaker) James L. Brooks.

“James L. Brooks came into this immense bare room, nary furnishings isolated from a telephone lying connected the floor, and astatine first, I thought helium was alternatively acold and benignant of distant, and helium s...