Sonny Curtis

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Sonny Curtis (born May 9, 1937, in Meadow, Texas) is an American singer and songwriter. Most of his work falls into the Pop and Country genres. He was a teenage pal and band member with Buddy Holly in Lubbock, Texas. Sonny is his actual first name, not a nickname. His song "The Real Buddy Holly Story" was written in response to the inaccuracies in the movie "The Buddy Holly Story."

His most famous song is probably the theme from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, "Love is All Around". He also wrote "Walk Right Back", which was a hit for the Everly Brothers and later for Anne Murray, "I Love You More Than I Can Say", first done by Bobby Vee, then Leo Sayer, and "I Fought the Law", which was most famously covered by fellow Texan Bobby Fuller, and was also later recorded by The Clash as well as a version with different lyrics recorded by The Dead Kennedys. Cover versions of "I Fought the Law" have also been performed and/or recorded by Bryan Adams, John Cougar Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Social Distortion, Mike Ness, Hank Williams Jr, Waylon Jennings, Green Day, The Ramones, Grateful Dead, Stray Cats, Mary's Danish, Mano Negra, the Big Dirty Band, Nonstop Body/Lolita No. 18, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Sex Pistols, Attaque 77, Die Toten Hosen, Status Quo, Nanci Griffith and numerous other artists. For the 2003 film, Intermission, Colin Farrell recorded a version of the song, singing it in the guise of his character in the film.

"Walk Right Back" has an interesting story. Sonny was in the Army and home on leave when he ran into his friends Don and Phil Everly. They asked if he had any songs for them as they had a recording session coming up. Sonny played them an unfinished "Walk Right Back". He had only written the first verse. "I'll finish it and send it to you," he told them. But they needed a song for the session so they just sang the first verse twice. And that's how everyone has sung the song, even though Sonny did write a second verse, it was too late. The intro guitar riff has been copied many times for other songs and Roger Miller even copied the chord structure for his song "Engine, Engine Number Nine". You can sing both songs at the same time, just like the old counter-melody songs like Irving Berlin's "Play A Simple Melody" or "You're Just In Love". When informed about Roger's use of his song, Sonny said, "I'm not mad. I'm honored." The second verse of "Walk Right Back" appears below: 

These eyes of mine that gave you loving glances once before, 
changed to shades of cloudy gray.  
I want so very much to see you, just like before.  
I've got to know you're coming back to stay.  
Please believe me when I say it's great to hear from you, 
But there's a lot of things a letter just can't say, oh me.  
Walk right back to me this minute.  
Bring your love to me, don't send it.  
I'm so lonesome every day.

[edit] Discography

  • 1968 First of Sonny Curtis Viva
  • 1969 The Sonny Curtis Style Elektra
  • 1980 Love Is All Around Elektra
  • 1981 Rollin Elektra
  • 1987 Spectrum Nightlite

[edit] External links


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