Overview

• His daughter, Sarah, announced the death in a Facebook post, saying she and his wife, Louise, were with him and that he did not suffer.
• A West Texas contemporary of Buddy Holly, Curtis joined The Crickets in 1958, became the band’s frontman after Holly’s death, and was inducted with the group into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.
• He wrote enduring songs including “I Fought the Law,” “Walk Right Back,” and “More Than I Can Say,” which became major hits through recordings by artists such as the Bobby Fuller Four, the Everly Brothers, and Leo Sayer.
• Curtis wrote and performed “Love Is All Around,” the theme to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, crafting it from a brief show treatment into one of television’s most recognizable theme songs.
• He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1991 and is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Louise, and their daughter, Sarah.