Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a Leba… Read Full Bio ↴Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a Lebanese-Canadian singer and songwriter.
He began singing as a child, first starting in the St Elijah Syrian Orthodox Church choir in Ottawa. As a student at Ottawa's Fisher Park High School he was part of a trio called the Bobby Soxers.
Encouraged by his parents, at age 14 he recorded his first single, I Confess. In 1957 he went to New York City where he auditioned for ABC, singing a lovestruck verse he had written to a former babysitter, Diana Ayoub. The song, Diana, brought Anka instant stardom as it rocketed to number one on the charts. Diana is one of the best selling 45s in music history. He followed up with four songs that made it into the Top 20 in 1958, making him one of the biggest teen idols of the time. He toured Britain and then, with Buddy Holly, toured Australia.
His talent went beyond singing, writing Buddy Holly's giant hit, It Doesn't Matter Anymore, the theme for Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, Tom Jones' biggest hit record, She's A Lady, and the English lyrics for My Way, Frank Sinatra's signature song and sung by many well known artists, including Greta Keller, for whom the words were very fitting.
In the 1960s, Anka would begin acting in motion pictures as well as writing songs for them, most notably the theme for the hit movie The Longest Day. From his movie work, he wrote and recorded his monster hit, Lonely Boy. He then went on to become one of the first pop singers to perform at the Las Vegas casinos.
After more than ten years without a hit record, in 1974 he teamed up with Odia Coates to record the number 1 hit, Having My Baby. They would record two more duets that both made it into the Top 10. In 1975, he wrote a jingle for Kodak called The Times of Your Life. The jingle became so popular, he recorded it as a full song, The Times of Your Life, and it became a hit a year later.
By the 1970s, Anka's career centered around adult contemporary and big-band standards, played regularly in Las Vegas. On September 6, 1990, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He returned to his home town to buy a part of the Ottawa Senators hockey team.
In 1999 he visited Lebanon for sell-out performances at the Forum de Beyrouth (The Beirut Forum).
Paul Anka was elected to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1980. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6840 Hollywood Blvd. In 1991, the Government of France honored him with the title "Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters". He was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 2005.
On the WB show Gilmore Girls, Lorelai named her new dog Paul Anka. He also made a guest appearance as himself in the episode "The Real Paul Anka", which aired April 11, 2006.
Paul Anka recently did a live session on Live @ The Orange Lounge playing songs from his new cover-CD Rock Swings.
Notable rap artist Jay-Z featured his vocals on the track I Did it my Way on The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse in 2002.
He became infamous amongst musicians (and more recently to internet users) for a mid-70's after-show tirade which was secretly recorded by a "snake we later fired" (Anka: Fresh Air interview). The diatribe, in which Anka berates his crew and band members, has spawned a number of in-joke references and quotations, the main ones being: "The guys get shirts", "Where's Joe?", and "Slice like a hammer."
He began singing as a child, first starting in the St Elijah Syrian Orthodox Church choir in Ottawa. As a student at Ottawa's Fisher Park High School he was part of a trio called the Bobby Soxers.
Encouraged by his parents, at age 14 he recorded his first single, I Confess. In 1957 he went to New York City where he auditioned for ABC, singing a lovestruck verse he had written to a former babysitter, Diana Ayoub. The song, Diana, brought Anka instant stardom as it rocketed to number one on the charts. Diana is one of the best selling 45s in music history. He followed up with four songs that made it into the Top 20 in 1958, making him one of the biggest teen idols of the time. He toured Britain and then, with Buddy Holly, toured Australia.
His talent went beyond singing, writing Buddy Holly's giant hit, It Doesn't Matter Anymore, the theme for Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, Tom Jones' biggest hit record, She's A Lady, and the English lyrics for My Way, Frank Sinatra's signature song and sung by many well known artists, including Greta Keller, for whom the words were very fitting.
In the 1960s, Anka would begin acting in motion pictures as well as writing songs for them, most notably the theme for the hit movie The Longest Day. From his movie work, he wrote and recorded his monster hit, Lonely Boy. He then went on to become one of the first pop singers to perform at the Las Vegas casinos.
After more than ten years without a hit record, in 1974 he teamed up with Odia Coates to record the number 1 hit, Having My Baby. They would record two more duets that both made it into the Top 10. In 1975, he wrote a jingle for Kodak called The Times of Your Life. The jingle became so popular, he recorded it as a full song, The Times of Your Life, and it became a hit a year later.
By the 1970s, Anka's career centered around adult contemporary and big-band standards, played regularly in Las Vegas. On September 6, 1990, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He returned to his home town to buy a part of the Ottawa Senators hockey team.
In 1999 he visited Lebanon for sell-out performances at the Forum de Beyrouth (The Beirut Forum).
Paul Anka was elected to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1980. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6840 Hollywood Blvd. In 1991, the Government of France honored him with the title "Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters". He was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 2005.
On the WB show Gilmore Girls, Lorelai named her new dog Paul Anka. He also made a guest appearance as himself in the episode "The Real Paul Anka", which aired April 11, 2006.
Paul Anka recently did a live session on Live @ The Orange Lounge playing songs from his new cover-CD Rock Swings.
Notable rap artist Jay-Z featured his vocals on the track I Did it my Way on The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse in 2002.
He became infamous amongst musicians (and more recently to internet users) for a mid-70's after-show tirade which was secretly recorded by a "snake we later fired" (Anka: Fresh Air interview). The diatribe, in which Anka berates his crew and band members, has spawned a number of in-joke references and quotations, the main ones being: "The guys get shirts", "Where's Joe?", and "Slice like a hammer."
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I've Gotta Be Me
Paul Anka Lyrics
A Steel Guitar And A Glass Of Wine Just give me a steel guitar and a glass of…
Can't Get Used To Losing You Guess there's no use in hangin' 'round Guess I'll get dress…
Crazy Love Crazy love it's just a crazy love I love you so…
Dance On Little Girl Dance, dance on little girl In the arms of someone new As…
Diana Certo non ne ho viste mai Belle e sexy meglio di…
Don't Ever Leave Me Don't ever leave me.. Don't say goodbye.. If you do, I'll be…
Don't Gamble with Love Don't gamble with love It's only for fools So play…
Eso Beso (That Kiss) Mmm, eso beso, ooh that kiss Aah, eso beso, ooh your…
Fly Me to the Moon Two young lovers have run the world And now there home…
For Once In My Life For once in my life I have someone who needs…
Hello Jim Hello, Jim, what do you say? Remember my love That I lost…
I Can't Stop Loving You I can't stop loving you so I've made up my…
I Love You Baby As I walk by the seaside As I walk through the…
I Love You in the Same Old Way I remember when we used to be in our teens I…
I'm Still Waiting Here for You (You didn't even say goodbye) So I sit here &…
I've Gotta Be Me Whether I'm right, whether I'm wrong Whether I find a place…
It Doesn't Matter Anymore There you go and baby here am I Well you left…
Lonely Boy I'm just a lonely boy Lonely and blue I'm all alone With not…
Love Land I'm gonna find me a plot of ground That nobody…
Love Me Warm and Tender Love me warm and tender, dear Love me warm like…
Memories Are Made Of This The sweet sweet memories you gave-a me You can't beat the…
Moon River Moon River, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in…
My Home Town I took a little trip to my home town I only…
My Way And now the end is near So I face the final…
Puppy Love And they called it puppy love Oh, I guess they'll never…
Put Your Head On My Shoulder Put your head on my shoulder Hold me in your arms,…
Ramblin' Rose Ramblin' rose, ramblin' rose Why you ramble no one knows Wil…
Remember Diana Everybody remembers Diana And just how much I loved her I wr…
Save The Last Dance For Me You can dance Ev'ry dance with the guy Who gives…
She's A Lady Well, she's all you'd ever want She's the kind I like…
Sincerely ("ba ba doo," "doo doo") Sincerely, oh yeah, sincerely 'Cau…
Summer's Gone Summer's gone and no songbirds are singing Because you're g…
Sweet Sweet Rosalie It was late I didn't have a special date I was sitting On…
The End of the World End of the world's coming Because I broke your heart End…
The Longest Day Many men came here as soldiers Many men will pass this…
You Are My Destiny You are my destiny That's what you are to me You are…
Zwei Mädchen aus Germany Gisela, Monika, Gisela Ich liebe zwei Mädchen aus Germany…