Paul Anka
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 30, 1941 (age 85)
- Birthplace
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Biography
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.
Known For
Filmography
My Way
Movie · as Self
Paul Anka: His Way
Movie · as Self
Vegas: The Story of Sin City
TV · as Self - Entertainer · 4 eps
Mireille Mathieu - Singen, nur singen
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth
Movie · as Self
David Foster: Off the Record
Movie · as Self
Comedy Central Roast of Alec Baldwin
Movie · as Self
The Masked Singer
TV · as Self, Broccoli (archive footage) · 3 eps
Buddy Holly: Rave On
Movie · as Self
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life
TV · as Paul Anka · 1 ep
Soundbreaking
TV · as Self · 2 eps
C'est votre vie
Movie · as Self
Paul Anka - Live in Switzerland
Movie
Paul Anka plays Avo Session
Movie
Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon
Movie · as Self
Svenska Hollywoodfruar
TV · as Himself · 4 eps
The Memories of Angels
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies
Movie · as Self
Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Parkinson
TV · as Self - Guest / Performer, Self - Guest (archive footage) · 2 eps
Las Vegas
TV · as Paul Anka · 3 eps
Die ultimative Chartshow
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV · as Self - Musical Guest, Self - Guest · 1 ep
Real Time with Bill Maher
TV · as Self · 1 ep
American Idol
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
3000 Miles to Graceland
Movie · as Pit Boss #1
Star Academy
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Gilmore Girls
TV · as Paul Anka · 1 ep
That '70s Show
TV · as Paul Anka · 1 ep
Ein Herz für Kinder
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The View
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Mad Dog Time
Movie · as Danny Marks
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
Movie · as Mr. Lagrange
Lill-Babs 40 år som artist
Movie · as Self
Rebel Highway
TV · as Mr. Lagrange · 1 ep
Ordinary Magic
Movie · as Joey Dean
Captain Ron
Movie · as Donaldson
Voices That Care
Movie · as Self - Choir Member
Prince of the Hit Parade
Movie · as Himself
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster
Movie · as Nick Angel
The Simpsons
TV · as Paul Anka (voice) · 2 eps
Téléthon
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Sacrée soirée
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Wedden, dat..?
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Goldener Löwe
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Champs-Elysées
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Lily: Sold Out
Movie · as Self
Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters
TV · as Self · 1 ep
My Way
Movie · as Self
Cinderella at the Palace
Movie · as Self
Lindsay Wagner: Another Side of Me
Movie · as Self
The Royal Variety Performance 1977
Movie · as Self
Donny & Marie
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell
TV · 4 eps
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Numéro un
TV · as Self · 2 eps
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1974
Movie
3 nach 9
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Dinah!
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Kojak
TV · as Buddy Maus · 1 ep
The Midnight Special
TV · as Self · 3 eps
Midi trente
TV · as Self (voice) · 1 ep
Cadet Rousselle
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Samedi soir
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
TV · as Self · 1 ep
This Is Tom Jones
TV · as Self · 1 ep
4-3-2-1 Hot and Sweet
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Hollywood Palace
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Einer wird gewinnen
TV · 1 ep
Viña del Mar International Song Festival
TV · as Self - Musical Guest · 1 ep
The Longest Day
Movie · as U.S. Army Ranger
Lonely Boy
Movie · as Himself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Merv Griffin Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Look in Any Window
Movie · as Craig Fowler
The Mike Douglas Show
TV · as Self - Co-Host · 2 eps
Werner Müllers Schlagermagazin
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Private Lives of Adam and Eve
Movie · as Pinkie Parker
Girls Town
Movie · as Jimmy Parlow
Let's Rock!
Movie · as Himself
The Dick Clark Show
TV · as Self · 10 eps
Kraft Music Hall
TV · as Self · 1 ep
American Bandstand
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Aktuelle Schaubude
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
What's My Line?
TV · as Self - Mystery Guest · 2 eps
The Ed Sullivan Show
TV · as Self · 9 eps