Paul Albert Anka, OC (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian
singer, songwriter and actor. Anka became famous during the late 1950s, 1960s,
and 1970s with hit songs like "Diana", "Lonely Boy", "Put
Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". He wrote
such well-known music as the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny
Carson and one of Tom Jones's biggest hits, "She's a Lady". He
also wrote the English lyrics to Claude François and Jacques Revaux's music for
Frank Sinatra's signature song, "My Way", which has been covered by
many, including Elvis Presley.
In 1983, he co-wrote the song "I Never Heard" with Michael Jackson. It was retitled and released in 2009 under the name "This Is It". An additional song thatJackson co-wrote with Anka from the 1983 session, "Love
Never Felt So Good", was released in 2014 on Jackson
Anka became a naturalizedUS
Paul Anka in 1961
Anka was born inOttawa , Canada Syria , from the Na'Nou' (Arabic: نعنوع) family
and his mother (Camelia) was Canadian-Lebanese "from the town of Kfar Mechki , Rashaya District, in Lebanon
Anka sang with the St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral choir under the direction of Frederick Karam, with whom he studied music theory. He studied piano with Winnifred Rees. He attendedFisher Park High School
Paul Anka recorded his first single, "I Confess", when he was 14. In 1957, with $100 given to him by his uncle, he went toNew York City US Britain ,
then Australia
Paul Anka's talent included the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (reworked in 1962 from a song Anka wrote earlier called "Toot Sweet"; it had been rewritten with lyrics and recorded by Annette Funicello in 1959 as " It's Really Love "). He wrote "Teddy" – a Top 20 hit for Connie Francis in 1960. Anka composed Tom Jones's biggest hit record, "She's a Lady", and wrote the English lyrics to "My Way", Frank Sinatra's signature song (originally the French song "Comme d'habitude"). In the 1960s, Anka began acting in motion pictures as well as writing songs for them, most notably the theme for the hit film The Longest Day (which also was the official march of the Canadian Airborne Regiment), in which he made a cameo appearance as a US Army Ranger. For his film work he wrote and recorded one of his greatest hits, "Lonely Boy". He also wrote and recorded "My Home Town", which was a No. 8 pop hit for him the same year. He then went on to become one of the first pop singers to perform at theLas Vegas
In 1960, Anka signed with RCA Victor. He bought the rights and ownership of his ABC-Paramount catalog in 1963, but like most North American recording artists saw his career stalled by the British Invasion. By the late 1960s, his career focused on adult contemporary and big-band standards, played regularly inLas Vegas
In the early 1970s, he signed with Buddah Records, putting out two albums, a self-titled and Jubilation. The former, first released in 1971, bore the track "She's a Lady", a song he wrote that would become a signature hit for Welsh singer Tom Jones that same year. Anka failed to make a chart success of his own version.
1970s chart comeback
Frustrated after more than ten years without a top 25 hit record, Anka switched labels again, which marked a turning point in his career. This time he signed with United Artists and in 1974 teamed up with Odia Coates to record the No. 1 hit, "(You're) Having My Baby", exposing Anka to a new generation of fans and proved his staying power among his original fan base that was now maturing.
Anka also wrote five songs which were included on an album by Don Goodwin.
Anka and Coates would record two more duets that made it into the Top 10, "One Man Woman/One Woman Man" (No. 7) and "I Don't Like to Sleep Alone" (No. 8), and the No. 15 duet "(I Believe) There's Nothing Stronger Than Our Love". In 1975 he recorded a jingle for Kodak written byBill Lane US US
1990s comeback
His 1998 album A Body of Work was his first newUS Canada 's
Walk of Fame in Toronto
On October 12, 2009, Anka stated that Michael Jackson's new release titled "This Is It" was a collaborative effort between the two in 1983. According to Anka, after recording the song,Jackson Jackson Jackson Canada
Italy
Already locally famous as a teenage idol for his songs in English, Anka hit the Italian market with "Summer's Gone" in 1960; it was released as "Dove Sei". The record got immediate success, reaching No. 4 on Italian hit lists, opening a promising foreign career. Anka then underwent an intense collaboration with Italian musicians of the time, including composer/director Ennio Morricone, singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti, and lyricist Mogol. His official discography reports nine singles released by RCA Italiana, but the Italian charts list at least six other songs he interpreted or recorded in Italian. His top hit was "Ogni giorno" which scored No. 1 in 1962, followed by "Piangerò per te" and "Ogni volta", which reached both No. 2, in 1963 and 1964. "Ogni volta" ("Every Time") was sung by Anka during the Festival di Sanremo of 1964 and then sold more than one million copies inItaly
He returned toSan Remo Bologna
In 2006, he recorded a duet with 1960s Italian hitmaker Adriano Celentano, a new cover of "Diana", with Italian lyrics by Celentano-Mogol and with singer-songwriter Alex Britti on the guitar. The song hit No. 3.
Anka was married to Anne de Zogheb, the daughter of a Lebanese diplomat, Charles de Zogheb, from February 16, 1963, until 2001. The couple met in 1962 inSan Juan ,
Puerto Rico , where she was a fashion model on
assignment and under contract to the Eileen Ford Agency. Zogheb, brought up in Egypt Paris-Orly
Airport
In 2008, Anka married his personal trainer, Anna Åberg, inSardinia .
They divorced in 2010 and Paul has full custody of their son. Anna was featured
in the Swedish TV3 show Svenska Hollywoodfruar (Swedish Hollywood
wives).
In October 2016 Anka married Lisa Pemberton inBeverly Hills ,
California
On September 6, 1990, he became a naturalized citizen of theUnited
States
Anka's autobiography, My Way, co-written with David Dalton, was published in 2013.
In 1983, he co-wrote the song "I Never Heard" with Michael Jackson. It was retitled and released in 2009 under the name "This Is It". An additional song that
Anka became a naturalized
Early Life
Anka was born in
Anka sang with the St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral choir under the direction of Frederick Karam, with whom he studied music theory. He studied piano with Winnifred Rees. He attended
Career
Early success
Paul Anka recorded his first single, "I Confess", when he was 14. In 1957, with $100 given to him by his uncle, he went to
"It Doesn't Matter
Anymore" has a tragic irony about it now, but at least it will help look
after Buddy Holly's family. I'm giving my composer's royalty to his widow –
it's the least I can do.
Paul Anka's talent included the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (reworked in 1962 from a song Anka wrote earlier called "Toot Sweet"; it had been rewritten with lyrics and recorded by Annette Funicello in 1959 as " It's Really Love "). He wrote "Teddy" – a Top 20 hit for Connie Francis in 1960. Anka composed Tom Jones's biggest hit record, "She's a Lady", and wrote the English lyrics to "My Way", Frank Sinatra's signature song (originally the French song "Comme d'habitude"). In the 1960s, Anka began acting in motion pictures as well as writing songs for them, most notably the theme for the hit film The Longest Day (which also was the official march of the Canadian Airborne Regiment), in which he made a cameo appearance as a US Army Ranger. For his film work he wrote and recorded one of his greatest hits, "Lonely Boy". He also wrote and recorded "My Home Town", which was a No. 8 pop hit for him the same year. He then went on to become one of the first pop singers to perform at the
In 1960, Anka signed with RCA Victor. He bought the rights and ownership of his ABC-Paramount catalog in 1963, but like most North American recording artists saw his career stalled by the British Invasion. By the late 1960s, his career focused on adult contemporary and big-band standards, played regularly in
In the early 1970s, he signed with Buddah Records, putting out two albums, a self-titled and Jubilation. The former, first released in 1971, bore the track "She's a Lady", a song he wrote that would become a signature hit for Welsh singer Tom Jones that same year. Anka failed to make a chart success of his own version.
1970s chart comeback
Frustrated after more than ten years without a top 25 hit record, Anka switched labels again, which marked a turning point in his career. This time he signed with United Artists and in 1974 teamed up with Odia Coates to record the No. 1 hit, "(You're) Having My Baby", exposing Anka to a new generation of fans and proved his staying power among his original fan base that was now maturing.
Anka also wrote five songs which were included on an album by Don Goodwin.
Anka and Coates would record two more duets that made it into the Top 10, "One Man Woman/One Woman Man" (No. 7) and "I Don't Like to Sleep Alone" (No. 8), and the No. 15 duet "(I Believe) There's Nothing Stronger Than Our Love". In 1975 he recorded a jingle for Kodak written by
1990s comeback
His 1998 album A Body of Work was his first new
On October 12, 2009, Anka stated that Michael Jackson's new release titled "This Is It" was a collaborative effort between the two in 1983. According to Anka, after recording the song,
Already locally famous as a teenage idol for his songs in English, Anka hit the Italian market with "Summer's Gone" in 1960; it was released as "Dove Sei". The record got immediate success, reaching No. 4 on Italian hit lists, opening a promising foreign career. Anka then underwent an intense collaboration with Italian musicians of the time, including composer/director Ennio Morricone, singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti, and lyricist Mogol. His official discography reports nine singles released by RCA Italiana, but the Italian charts list at least six other songs he interpreted or recorded in Italian. His top hit was "Ogni giorno" which scored No. 1 in 1962, followed by "Piangerò per te" and "Ogni volta", which reached both No. 2, in 1963 and 1964. "Ogni volta" ("Every Time") was sung by Anka during the Festival di Sanremo of 1964 and then sold more than one million copies in
He returned to
In 2006, he recorded a duet with 1960s Italian hitmaker Adriano Celentano, a new cover of "Diana", with Italian lyrics by Celentano-Mogol and with singer-songwriter Alex Britti on the guitar. The song hit No. 3.
Personal Life
Anka was married to Anne de Zogheb, the daughter of a Lebanese diplomat, Charles de Zogheb, from February 16, 1963, until 2001. The couple met in 1962 in
In 2008, Anka married his personal trainer, Anna Åberg, in
In October 2016 Anka married Lisa Pemberton in
On September 6, 1990, he became a naturalized citizen of the
Anka's autobiography, My Way, co-written with David Dalton, was published in 2013.
Acting Career
Anka's first
acting role in a major film was in a cameo as an army private in The Longest
Day (1962). He also composed the title song to the movie. During the late
1950s and early 1960s, he starred in such teen exploitation films as Girls
Town (1959) and Look in Any Window (1961), in which he played a
peeping tom. He later played an Elvis-hating casino pit manager in 3000
Miles to Graceland (2001) and a yacht broker in Captain Ron (1992).
He guest-starred as a murder suspect in one of the Perry Mason Made-for-TV
movies, The Case of the Maligned Mobster (1991). In October 1995, he
appeared as himself in the episode "Treehouse of Horror VI" on The
Simpsons. He made guest appearances as himself in the episode "Red's
Last Day" on That '70s Show and in "The Real Paul Anka"
episode of Gilmore Girls. He made several appearances on the NBC TV
series Las Vegas
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Links to young Paul Anka
singing his early big hits:
Diana lyrics and
performance by writer and singer Paul Anka
Put Your Head on My
Shoulder performed by writer and singer Paul Anka
Puppy Love
performed by writer and singer Paul Anka (introduced by Dick Clark)
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