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, and "I Fought the Law" which was most famously covered by fellow Texan Bobby Fuller and The Clash.

"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.