Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including "Diana", "Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also wrote the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; one of Tom Jones' biggest hits, "She's a Lady"; and the English lyrics to Claude François and Jacques Revaux's music for Frank Sinatra's signature song "My Way", which has been recorded by many, including Elvis Presley. He co-wrote three songs with Michael Jackson: "This Is It" (originally titled "I Never Heard") "Love Never Felt So Good", and "Don't Matter to Me", which became posthumous hits for Jackson in 2009, 2014, and 2018, respectively. Anka was born in Ottawa, Ontario, to Camelia (née Tannis) and Andrew Emile "Andy" Anka Sr., who owned a restaurant called the Locanda. His parents were both of Lebanese descent. His father came to Canada from Bab Tuma, Damascus, Syria, and his mother was an immigrant from Lebanon. His mother died when he was 18. 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 Fisher Park High School, where he was part of a vocal trio called the Bobby Soxers. Paul Anka recorded his first single, "I Confess", when he was 14. In 1956, with $100 given to him by his uncle, he went to New York City where he auditioned for Don Costa at ABC Records, singing what was widely believed to be a lovestruck verse he had written to a former babysitter. In an interview with NPR's Terry Gross in 2005, he stated that it was to a girl at his church whom he hardly knew. The resulting song "Diana" brought Anka stardom as it went to No. 1 on the Canadian and US music charts. "Diana" is one of the best selling singles ever by a Canadian recording artist. He followed up with four songs that made it into the Top 20 in 1958, including "It's Time to Cry", which hit No. 4 and "(All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings", which reached No. 15, making him (at 17) one of the biggest teen idols of the time. He toured Britain, then Australia with Buddy Holly. Anka also wrote "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" – a song written for Holly, which Holly recorded just before he died in 1959. Anka stated shortly afterward: "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." ... Source: Article "Paul Anka" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Filmography

• The Masked Singer — Broccoli, Broccoli (archive footage)
• Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life — Paul Anka
• 2013Paul Anka - Live in Switzerland
• 2011Paul Anka plays Avo Session
• Las Vegas — Paul Anka
• 20013000 Miles to Graceland — Pit Boss #1
• Gilmore Girls — Paul Anka
• That '70s Show — Paul Anka
• 1996Mad Dog Time — Danny Marks
• Rebel Highway — Mr. Lagrange
• 1994Shake, Rattle and Rock! — Mr. Lagrange
• 1993Ordinary Magic — Joey Dean
• 1992Captain Ron — Donaldson
• 1991Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster — Nick Angel
• 1989Bill Hicks: Sane Man — Music
• The Simpsons — Paul Anka (voice)
• 1985George and the Christmas Star — Songs
• Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell
• 1974The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1974
• 1973Jail Bait — Songs
• Kojak — Buddy Maus
• 1965Sylvia — Theme Song Performance
• Einer wird gewinnen
• 1962The Longest Day — U.S. Army Ranger, Additional Music
• 1961Look in Any Window — Craig Fowler
• 1960The Private Lives of Adam and Eve — Pinkie Parker
• 1959Girls Town — Jimmy Parlow

Appearances as themselves (65)

• 2024My Way — Self
• 2024Paul Anka: His Way — Self
• Vegas: The Story of Sin City — Self - Entertainer
• 2021Mireille Mathieu - Singen, nur singen — Self (archive footage)
• 2020Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth — Self
• 2019Comedy Central Roast of Alec Baldwin — Self
• 2019David Foster: Off the Record — Self
• 2017Buddy Holly: Rave On — Self
• Soundbreaking — Self
• 2013C'est votre vie — Self
• 2011Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon — Self
• Svenska Hollywoodfruar — Himself
• 2008The Memories of Angels — Self (archive footage)
• 2004AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies — Self
• Parkinson — Self - Guest / Performer, Self - Guest (archive footage)
• Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel — Self
• Die ultimative Chartshow — Self
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self - Musical Guest, Self - Guest
• Real Time with Bill Maher — Self
• American Idol — Self - Guest
• Star Academy — Self
• Ein Herz für Kinder — Self
• The View — Self
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show — Self
• 1994Lill-Babs 40 år som artist — Self
• 1991Prince of the Hit Parade — Himself
• 1991Voices That Care — Self - Choir Member
• Sacrée soirée — Self
• Téléthon — Self
• Wedden, dat..? — Self
• Goldener Löwe — Self
• Champs-Elysées — Self
• 1981Lily: Sold Out — Self
• Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters — Self
• 1979My Way — Self
• 1978Cinderella at the Palace — Self
• 1977Lindsay Wagner: Another Side of Me — Self
• 1977The Royal Variety Performance 1977 — Self
• Donny & Marie — Self
• Les Rendez-vous du dimanche — Self
• Numéro un — Self
• 3 nach 9 — Self
• Dinah! — Self
• Midi trente — Self (voice)
• The Midnight Special — Self
• Cadet Rousselle — Self
• Samedi soir — Self
• The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour — Self
• This Is Tom Jones — Self
• 4-3-2-1 Hot and Sweet — Self
• The Hollywood Palace — Self
• Viña del Mar International Song Festival — Self - Musical Guest
• 1962Lonely Boy — Himself
• The Merv Griffin Show — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self - Co-Host
• Werner Müllers Schlagermagazin — Self
• Kraft Music Hall — Self
• 1958Let's Rock! — Himself
• The Dick Clark Show — Self
• Aktuelle Schaubude — Self
• American Bandstand — Self
• The Dinah Shore Chevy Show — Self
• What's My Line? — Self - Mystery Guest
• The Ed Sullivan Show — Self