By Ken Paulson –

Every article about the late Sonny Curtis says what a fine songwriter and human being he was. That’s because he was.

I was thrilled to meet Buddy Holly’s good friend and a member of the post-’59 Crickets in 2002 at a TV taping we did in connection with the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival in Nashville. We got to know each other over the years and I liked to think of him as a friend. That was inevitable. If you met this sweet, unassuming gentleman, you felt like he was your friend.

My last contact with him came three Christmases ago. My wife and I had been in Lubbock and we made the drive to Meadow, where Sonny was born. I sent him a photo of me sitting at the city hall on Sonny Curtis Street. Sonny responded: ” You’re about 2 1/2 blocks from where I grew up, on the same street. I’m sure you will agree that Meadow is a thriving Metropolis.” God bless you, Sonny.