Sonny Curtis, frontman of Buddy Holly’s band The Crickets and writer of classic songs, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme, has died.

According to the New York Times, Curtis passed away on Friday from pneumonia at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.

His daughter, Sarah, confirmed the sad news on Facebook. “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,” she added.

“He was 88 and he lived a more exceptional life than anyone I’d ever met,” Sarah added. “He made a mark on this world, and he made a mark on the hearts of all who knew him. It’s a sad day, but what a life. May we look at his life with joy rather than sadn

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