Sonny Curtis, the acclaimed songwriter behind classics like “I Fought the Law” and the Mary Tyler Moore Show theme song, died Friday, September 20, after a sudden illness, Parade reports. He was 88.

His daughter announced the news Saturday on Facebook , expressing gratitude for being present during his final moments.

“I’m heartbroken to tell you that my dad Sonny passed away yesterday after a sudden illness,” she wrote. “I’m so grateful that I was with him at the end, along with my mom. It was peaceful and he didn’t suffer.”

Curtis leaves behind a musical legacy that spans decades.

Beyond his most recognizable compositions, he penned “Walk Right Back” and “More Than I Can Say,” which became top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 for the Everly Brothers in 1961 and Leo Sayer in 1980,

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