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Home , Bobby Fuller, I Fought the Law, Sonny Curtis, The Crickets

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130'*-& .64*$ (JGUPG TFSWJDF ."+03-&"(6&5"-&/5 #Z.JDIBFM$PSDPSBO BUSVF 4POOZ$VSUJT 3POOJF%VOOBOE3PHFS.JMMFS 4QFDJBMUPUIF"NFSJDBO 4UBUFTNBO CMFTTJOH BEEFEUP5FYBT)FSJUBHF4POHXSJUFST)BMMPG'BNF West Texan very well could be the Bo "UXPSLBOEUISPVHI Jackson of songwriting. Instead of excelling in two IFSNBOZDIBSJUJFT  sports, the 75-year-old Curtis &MJ[BCFUI(PO[BMFTJT penned two classics that are as NBLJOHBEJƅFSFODF divergent as football and base- ball. As a Lubbock sandstorm #Z.JDIBFM#BSOFT howled outside his window in NCBSOFT!TUBUFTNBODPN the summer of 1958, he wrote “,” one of The daughter of a single the !rst rock rebellion songs, working mom, diligent stu- which was !rst recorded by dent Elizabeth S. Gonzales three months dropped out of a Corpus after died, made Christi high school when she famous by the became pregnant. Four in 1965, then "agged as “A lot of my passion about a nascent punk song by the education comes from that Clash. experience,” says Gonzales, The other landmark compo- now 63, who put a young sition was the theme song on a husband through pharmacy TV show that debuted in 1970 school, then raised three and ran seven groundbreaking children on her own while seasons. Curtis received a working full time. four-page synopsis of a show She earned her GED about a 30-year-old woman diploma and attended com- out on her own in Minneapolis munity college, then tri- after an engagement breakup, umphed in business while and two hours later came up becoming two-time chair- with “Love Is All Around,” aka woman of the Greater Austin the theme to “The Mary Tyler Hispanic Chamber of Com- Moore Show.” merce and volunteering for The holy grail area charitable groups. 8FTU5FYBO4POOZ$VSUJTXSPUFi*'PVHIUUIF-BX wPOFPGUIFmSTUSPDLSFCFMMJPOTPOHT BTXFMMBTi-PWF*T and a beloved TV song that She says of her work across "MM"SPVOE wCFUUFSLOPXOUPEBZBTUIFUIFNFUPi5IF.BSZ5ZMFS.PPSF4IPXw)FTCFJOHJOEVDUFEJOUPUIF came to represent feminism those fields: “I teach people to 5FYBT)FSJUBHF4POHXSJUFST)BMMPG'BNFGPS$0/53*#65&% with a thrown hat in the air. help themselves.” Two songs that had nothing Gonzales was raised with in common except they came three other siblings by a from the creative mind of mother, Maria Casso Hiten, Sonny Curtis, born in a dugout 83, who waited tables. The his daddy built on a farm out- current New York Life insur- side Lubbock during the Great ance agent first arrived in Depression. Austin in January 1967. She Curtis, who will be inducted worked as a cashier at Wal- Sunday into the Heri- green’s for $49 a week. tage Hall of Fame, She landed a better job at along with Ronnie Dunn of the Sears cosmetics and wigs Brooks & Dunn and the late counter. “People remember Roger Miller, also had hits that it was right by the esca- with “” for lator,” she says. (which he When IBM opened shop wrote in Army basic training in on what is now Burnet Road, 1960), “The Straight Life” for they needed a bilingual recep- and “I’m No tionist. She was the last appli- Stranger to the Rain” for Keith cant they interviewed. Whitley. But even if he had not #BSOFTDPOUJOVFEPO% written a single song, Curtis would be a notable !gure in $0/53*#65&% rock ’n’ roll history for his .JDIBFM#BSOFTXSJUFTBCPVU close association with Buddy "VTUJOTQFPQMF QMBDFTBOE Holly, less than a year older, IJTUPSZ 3PHFS.JMMFS BCPWF BOE3POOJF%VOO SJHIU BSF with whom Curtis played JOEVDUFFTJOUPUIF5FYBT)FSJUBHF4POHXSJUFST)BMM guitar and !ddle before Buddy PG'BNFGPS $0/53*#65&%#:+*."3/%5 4POHXSJUFSTDPOUJOVFEPO%

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A few weeks ago, Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne 1FUFS.POHJMMP /FX:PSL-JGFJOTVSBODFBHFOU announced ’s new .VTJD4PVSDF BOE)JTQBOJDMFBEFS&MJ[BCFUI album with the following ques- (PO[BMFT.*$)"&-#"3/&4".&3*$"/ tion: “Why would we make this 45"5&4."/ music that is The Terror — this .PSFOFXT QSFWJFXTBOE  bleak, disturbing record ...??” BOOPVODFNFOUTPOBMM He went on to say he didn’t UIJOHTNVTJD JOUFSBDUJWF really know the answer, except BOEmMN-JWFDPWFSBHFTUBSUT $0.*/(8&%/&4%": maybe it had to do with being XJUIUIFGFTUJWBMPO.BSDI hopeless and disturbed. BVTUJODPNTYTX On that cheery note, Austin might get more of an answer The Flaming Lips announce- when the (fake) blood-loving ment came a day after the Coyne and the rest of the band festival announced a very dif- headline South by Southwest’s ferent type of show: a tribute Town Lake Stage at Audito- to Levon Helm, late drummer rium Shores on March 15. Or for the Band. maybe they’ll just play some That show, set to take place insane covers or “Yoshimi at Auditorium Shores on Battles the Pink Robots.” March 16 (also free and open The show is free and open to the public), will include per- to the public. formances from Helm’s Mid- Balancing out the Lips’ night Ramble Band (which weirdness (or maybe adding to includes Helm’s daughter it) will be My Morning Jacket Amy), Robert Randolph and frontman Jim James. He’s in the Family Band, Los Lonely town supporting his new solo Boys, JJ Grey & Mofro, James album (he’ll back at Stubb’s on Hunter, Spirit Family Reunion, 8BZOF$PZOFBOEUIF'MBNJOH-JQTBSFGSFRVFOU"VTUJOWJTJUPST JODMVE 0OUBQ May 6). Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers JOH"$-'FTUJO+":+"//&3".&3*$"/45"5&4."/ SXSW announced James and the Mother Hips. Dona- Austin bars, restaurants also will take part in a inter- tions will be accepted to ben- rock group Cafe Tacvba. It will you’re in luck (if not, sorry). view during the conference. e!t Keep It Goin’, created to share a bill with Molotov, Bajo- Seattle rapper Macklemore and grocery stores Britt Daniel, Dan Boeckner help preserve Helm’s Wood- fondo and Italian pop sensa- and Ryan Lewis will be every- make room for more and Sam Brown’s band Divine stock, N.Y., barn and studio. tion Jovanotti on March 14. where during the festival, Fits, which released its debut Rounding out the free show- If you’re reading this and including Rachael Ray’s than beer in their taps. album in 2012, also will per- cases on the shores of Lady asking, “What about ‘Thrift In Food & Life form. Bird Lake will be Mexican Shop’? I love that song,” .POHJMMPDPOUJOVFEPO% "645*/".&3*$"/45"5&4."/]3&"-"645*/3&"-/&84 56&4%": '$"3: ]%

“They were going for , who was 3POOJF 5&9"4)&3*5"(& hotter’n a pistol and had 40/(83*5&34 his own show,” Curtis %VOOTUJMM )"--0''".& said. “So I said, ‘Well, if 4VOEBZTJOEVDUJPO you can get Andy Wil- DFSFNPOZBOEDPODFSU liams, then go ahead.’ ” XSJUFTUIF GFBUVSFT4POOZ$VSUJT  When Williams passed, 3POOJF%VOO 5PCZ Curtis got the gig. TPOHT ,FJUI +BDL*OHSBNBOE Curtis still writes, still -BSSZ(BUMJO ,FJUI XIP tries to pick that guitar 4POHXSJUFST JTGSPN0LMBIPNBBOE like Chet Atkins. He said $POUJOVFEGSPN% QFSGPSNJOHJOIPOPSPG that since his pre-teen UIFMBUF3PHFS.JMMFS XJMM days playing !ddle for formed the Crickets. SFDFJWFBOiIPOPSBSZ the Curtis Brothers at the Curtis was in the band 5FYBOwDFSUJmDBUFGSPN KSEL Jamboree at Sled — along with UIFHPWFSOPSTPĄDF Allen’s Arena in Lubbock, on drums and Don Guess EVSJOHBQSJWBUFFWFOU all he’s ever wanted to do on bass — when Buddy 4BUVSEBZ was play music. Holly opened for Elvis 8IFOQN4VOEBZ One of his later com- Presley at Lubbock’s Fair 8IFSF"$--JWF 8 positions to get atten- Park Coliseum in 1956. 4FDPOE4U tion is “The Real Buddy Curtis and Guess were $PTUUP  Holly Story,” which the musicians Holly took UJDLFUTBWBJMBCMF inspired Holly fanatic with him to Nashville on UISPVHIXXX"$--JWF Paul McCartney to make a his !rst recording session DPN documentary of the same for later *OGPSNBUJPOXXX name to dispel some of that year. Not much came UFYBTIFSJUBHF the mistruths of the 1978 of the sojourn to Bradley’s TPOHXSJUFSTDPN !lm, which made Gary Barn — two singles (“Blue Busey a star. Days, Black Nights,” “It was a good Holly- “Modern Don Juan”) wood rock ’n’ roll movie,” went nowhere, but Curtis Curtis said he’d give it said Curtis, “but it didn’t made history by being a try when he was asked capture Buddy to my way one of the !rst to play the to write the song for the of thinking.” The scene Fender Stratocaster on a intro of “The Mary Tyler that especially makes recording. Moore Show.” He read Curtis shake his head is Needing a paying gig, the synopsis around noon when Holly, frustrated by Curtis left Lubbock in one day and later that the meddling of Nashville ’57 to tour with country afternoon found himself producer Owen Bradley, superstar Slim Whitman, in the o"ce of show cre- punches him out in the but that didn’t last long. ator James L. Brooks. studio. “I was there,” When “That’ll Be the “I played him ‘Love Is said Curtis, “and nothing Day,” “” and All Around’ and he said like that ever happened. “Oh Boy!” hit in quick suc- ‘Let me take that song … Buddy always treated cession for Buddy and with me to Minneapolis,’ ” everyone with respect.” the Crickets, Curtis was Curtis said. “They were Curtis said he’s espe- playing !ve sets a night at shooting the opening cially honored to be part a Colorado ski lodge. footage on location.” of Sunday’s celebration “The pay wasn’t very Not many folks know because the Texas Heri- good,” Curtis has said of the lyrics were altered tage Songwriters event was that gig, “but the hours after the !rst season. The always a favorite of Darrell were long.” unforgettable !rst line, Royal, who passed away in After Holly died in a “Who can turn the world November at age 88. plane crash at age 22 in on with her smile?” was “I got to meet Coach February 1959, Curtis not in the original ver- Royal through Sonny joined the Crickets and sion. When the show Throckmorton,” said played them a song he debuted, the Mary Rich- Curtis. “But I didn’t know had called “I Fought ards character had him too well.” the Law.” The tune was embarked on a fresh start One night in 1988, recorded in New York after a breakup, but didn’t Curtis was playing a City and included on “In have a job or, really, any solo acoustic show in Style With the Crickets,” a skills or experience. Austin, in front of about favorite album of a young The theme song’s orig- 10 people, most of them guitarist/singer in El Paso inal !rst line was “How cousins. named Bobby Fuller. will you make it on your “Coach Royal showed A draft notice inter- own?” up with Earl Campbell rupted Curtis’ time in Applying for an entry- and I was so honored,” the Crickets, though he’s level job, Richards was he said. “He stayed the remained a member instead hired on Lou whole show, and we throughout the years and Grant’s whim as assis- talked afterward. It was still gigs with Allison and tant producer of the “Six just so cool.” bassist Joe B. Maudlin, his O’Clock News,” so by A great song’s big- neighbors in Nashville, as the end of the season, a gest fan, Coach Royal the Crickets. more optimistic tone was will be there in spirit this After the Army, Curtis needed for the theme. weekend, as will the late settled in Los Angeles, Besides the new opener, founder of the Health Alli- where there was song- the last line was changed ance for Austin Musicians, writing and guitar playing from “You might just Robin Ratli# Shivers, work for hire. make it after all,” to recipient of the Darrell Curtis played guitar for “You’re gonna make it K Royal Patron Award. Roger Miller occasion- after all.” Inductees Curtis and ally, which ended up pro- Curtis had hoped he’d Dunn will play short sets viding his connection to also sing the theme song, and Toby Keith will honor Mary Tyler Moore, which but the show’s producers Roger Miller. Also per- shared management with wanted to !nd a “name” forming are Jack Ingram Miller. vocalist. and Larry Gatlin.

months salary in the bank revitalizing the organi- 7PMVOUFFS to live on and three chil- zation, which is to the dren, one at every school good.” level,” she recalls. For 20 years, Gonzales FOKPZT Split long ago from her has held an appointed husband, Gonzales, who position with the City lives off South First Street of Austin Retirement IFMQJOH near Slaughter Lane, now System, which man- coddles four grandsons. ages almost $2 billion for PUIFST Yet she has no intention 10,000 city employees of retiring any time soon. and retirees. #BSOFT “I do love what I do “We’re underfunded $POUJOVFEGSPN% in my business,” she like everybody else, but says. “People are usually the city is pitching in “God always presented better off when I leave more these days,” she me with better oppor- the room than before I says. “We had a good tunities to learn and to got there. I’ve never been last year. But three good grow,” she says. “And I high-pressure. That’s not years can get wiped out had a family to feed.” the way I buy or the way by one bad year.” Among her more mem- I sell.” One of her favorite orable jobs after that was Her supervisors tell the charities is the South- working for what she hyper-organized Gon- west Key program, which calls the “Holly Street zales — always carefully includes a charter school, Gang” — three lawyers coiffed and appointed East Austin College Prep with an office at Holly — she could be even Academy. Street and Interstate 35 more successful if she “Juan Sanchez has who also dabbled in poli- transferred the energy an incredible vision and tics: Gabe Gutierrez, she devotes to volun- heart for kids and educa- Alberto Garcia and Juan teer work to selling more tion,” she says. “And also Duran. insurance. for those who have not “We had fun,” she “To me, it’s more had the same opportu- says. “I was there almost important to be involved nities and exposure. We eight years managing that in the community,” she expect excellence from office.” says. “You spend what our students and get it.” Another three years you make, so if my obli- Never remarried, Gon- were spent trading com- gations are met, I don’t zales found the “God of modity futures. An agent really need more money.” my understanding” in the she met at a madrigal She joined the Greater Course of Miracles and dinner tried to persuade Austin Hispanic Chamber has attended its weekly her that New York Life of Commerce 31 years meetings for 20 years. was where she should be. ago because “it had the A regular traveler, she’s “I knew enough people loudest Latino voice in taking salsa dancing les- in Austin and everybody the city.” sons and wants to learn needs it,” she says of life “It was there to repre- country western style. insurance. sent Latinos outside of “I love to dance,” she “One of the best moves politics,” Gonzales says. says. “ Tejano dancing I ever made in my life, She now serves on the is what I learned first. besides moving back to board for the chamber’s My Daddy taught me. It Austin, was joining New foundation, which deals reminds me of home and York Life. with education, leader- him.” “I didn’t want a job. I ship, health and wellness. wanted a career. That’s “I really like the way $POUBDU.JDIBFM#BSOFT what they offered.” the chamber looks these BUPSNCBSOFT! She started working on days,” she says. “Lots TUBUFTNBODPN5XJUUFS! commission April Fool’s of young professionals PVUBOEBCPVU Day 1986. earning six figures, “I had just three leaders, lots of new blood