Paul Anka Biography
Paul Anka,
OC (born July 30, 1941, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian-American
singer and songwriter of Lebanese Arab origin.
Paul Anka began singing as a child and, 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 Paul 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 "My Way," Frank Sinatra's signature song.
In the 1960s, Paul 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, and it became a
hit.
By the 1970s, Paul 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.
Born to parents of Lebanese origin, in 1999 he
returned to 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.
He was married to Anne DeZogheb from 1963 to
2000. They have five daughters: Amelia, Anthea, Alicia, Amanda (who is married
to actor Jason Bateman), and Alexandra.
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