Paul Albert Anka is a renowned Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actor celebrated for his timeless hits like "Diana," "Lonely Boy," and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder." His prolific songwriting extended to crafting the iconic theme for "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and penning Tom Jones' chart-topper "She's a Lady." Anka also contributed English lyrics to Frank Sinatra's signature song "My Way." Notably, he collaborated with Michael Jackson on three posthumous hits: "This Is It," "Love Never Felt So Good," and "Don't Matter to Me." Anka's enduring legacy in the music industry solidifies his status as a prominent figure in entertainment.
July 30, 1941: Birth of Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka was born on July 30, 1941.
1956: "Diana" Propels Anka to Stardom
At age 15, Paul Anka traveled to New York and auditioned with the song "Diana", leading to his first recording contract and subsequent rise to fame as the song topped the charts in Canada and the US.
1958: Teenage Idol Success
Paul Anka released four songs that reached the top 20 in 1958, solidifying his status as a prominent teen idol.
1959: Annette Funicello Records "It's Really Love"
Annette Funicello recorded "It's Really Love" in 1959, a song originally written by Paul Anka and later reworked into the theme for "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson".
1959: Girls Town Role
Paul Anka appeared in the teen exploitation film "Girls Town" in 1959.
1959: Performance in Helsinki
Paul Anka performed at Linnanmäki in Helsinki, Finland in 1959.
1959: Touring with Buddy Holly
Paul Anka toured Britain and Australia with Buddy Holly in 1959.
1960: Anka Pens Hits for Others, Ventures into Acting
Paul Anka wrote "Teddy", a hit for Connie Francis, penned English lyrics for Frank Sinatra's "My Way", and began his acting career with appearances in the TV series "Dan Raven" in 1960.
1961: Look in Any Window Role
Paul Anka starred in the film "Look in Any Window" in 1961, playing a peeping tom.
1962: The Longest Day Cameo
Paul Anka made his first major film appearance in a cameo role in "The Longest Day" in 1962. He also composed the title song for the movie.
1962: Meeting Anne de Zogheb
Paul Anka met his future wife, Anne de Zogheb, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1962.
1962: Lonely Boy Documentary
Paul Anka was the subject of the National Film Board of Canada documentary "Lonely Boy" in 1962.
1962: The Tonight Show Theme Song Debuts
Paul Anka's reworked composition, originally titled "Toot Sweet", premiered as the theme song for "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1962.
1962: "Ogni giorno" Tops Italian Charts
Paul Anka's song "Ogni giorno" achieved the number one spot on the Italian music charts in 1962.
February 16, 1963: Marriage to Anne de Zogheb
Paul Anka married Anne de Zogheb on February 16, 1963, in Paris.
1963: Anka Acquires Rights to His Music
Paul Anka bought back the rights to his ABC-Paramount music catalog and re-recorded his hits under RCA Victor in 1963.
1963: Success of "Piangerò per te"
"Piangerò per te" by Paul Anka peaked at number two on the Italian music charts in 1963.
1964: Paul Anka à Paris Release
Paul Anka released the album "Paul Anka à Paris" in 1964, featuring six tracks sung in French.
1964: "Ogni volta" Achieves Success
Paul Anka's performance of "Ogni volta" at the Sanremo Music Festival in 1964 propelled it to number two on the Italian charts and earned him a gold disc.
1968: Anka Returns to Sanremo
Paul Anka participated in the Sanremo Music Festival again in 1968, performing "La farfalla impazzita".
1970: The Morecambe and Wise Show Appearance
Paul Anka appeared on "The Morecambe and Wise Show" in 1970, singing his own lyrics to "My Way."
1972: Paul Anka Drive Naming
A street in Ottawa was named Paul Anka Drive in 1972.
1974: "(You're) Having My Baby" Tops Charts
Paul Anka's duet with Odia Coates, "(You're) Having My Baby", reached number one in 1974, introducing him to a new generation of fans.
1975: Kodak Jingle Inspires Hit Song
Paul Anka recorded a full version of the popular Kodak jingle "Times of Your Life" in 1975, which was written by Bill Lane and Roger Nichols.
1976: "Times of Your Life" Charts
"Times of Your Life" peaked at number seven on the US pop chart in 1976.
1980: Collaboration with Michael Jackson
Paul Anka and Michael Jackson collaborated on the song "This Is It", originally titled "I Never Heard".
1981: Paul Anka Day Declaration
The Ottawa City Council named August 26 as "Paul Anka Day" in 1981 to celebrate his 25th anniversary in show business.
1983: Release of "Walk a Fine Line"
Paul Anka released the album "Walk a Fine Line" in 1983.
1983: Last US Top 40 Hit
Paul Anka's final US Top 40 hit, "Hold Me 'Til the Mornin' Comes," featuring Peter Cetera, was released in the summer of 1983.
1989: Performance in Lappeenranta
Paul Anka had a performance in Lappeenranta, Finland in 1989.
September 6, 1990: U.S. Citizenship
Paul Anka became a naturalized citizen of the United States on September 6, 1990.
1991: Perry Mason TV Movie Appearance
In 1991, Paul Anka guest-starred as a murder suspect in the Perry Mason Made-for-TV movie "The Case of the Maligned Mobster."
1991: Appearance in Finnish Film
Paul Anka made an appearance in the Finnish film "Prince of the Hit Parade" in 1991.
1992: Captain Ron Role
Paul Anka appeared as a yacht broker in the film "Captain Ron" in 1992.
1993: Collaboration with Regine Velasquez
In 1993, Paul Anka collaborated with Filipino singer Regine Velasquez on the song "It's Hard to Say Goodbye," which was included on her album "Reason Enough."
October 1995: The Simpsons Appearance
Paul Anka appeared in "The Simpsons" season 7 episode "Treehouse of Horror VI, Attack of the 50 Ft Eyesore," singing a song with Lisa in October 1995.
1998: "A Body of Work" Released
Anka released "A Body of Work", his first new US studio album since 1983, featuring collaborations with artists such as Celine Dion and Kenny G.
2001: Divorce from Anne de Zogheb
Paul Anka and Anne de Zogheb divorced in 2001 after 38 years of marriage.
2001: 3000 Miles to Graceland Role
Paul Anka played an Elvis-hating casino pit manager in the film "3000 Miles to Graceland" in 2001.
2003: Anka Performs in Bologna
Paul Anka returned to Italy for a special concert in Bologna in 2003.
2004: Tirade Recording Surfaces Online
A recording of Paul Anka's tirade against his crew and band members, secretly recorded in the mid-1980s, surfaced online around 2004.
2005: "Rock Swings" and Walk of Fame Honor
Paul Anka released "Rock Swings", an album of big-band versions of rock songs, and received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in 2005.
2006: "Diana" Duet with Adriano Celentano
Paul Anka and Adriano Celentano released a duet of "Diana" with Italian lyrics in 2006, which reached number three on the charts.
July 2007: Performance at Pori Jazz Festival
Paul Anka performed at the Pori Jazz Festival in Pori, Finland on July 19, 2007.
2007: Ocean's Thirteen Quotes
Quotes from Paul Anka's tirade recording were used by Al Pacino's character in the film "Ocean's Thirteen" in 2007.
August 2008: First Tampere Performance
Paul Anka gave his first performance in Tampere, Finland on August 6, 2008.
2008: Marriage to Anna Åberg
Paul Anka married his personal trainer, Anna Åberg, in Sardinia, Italy, in 2008.
August 2009: Two Performances in Tampere
Paul Anka performed two more times in Tampere, Finland on August 9 and 10, 2009.
October 12, 2009: Anka's Claim on "This Is It"
Paul Anka publicly stated that "This Is It", released by Michael Jackson's estate, was a collaborative work from 1980, eventually leading to Anka receiving 50% of the copyright.
2009: "This Is It" Released Posthumously
Michael Jackson's song "This Is It", co-written with Paul Anka in 1980, was released posthumously in 2009.
2010: Divorce from Anna Åberg
Paul Anka and Anna Åberg divorced in 2010.
November 2011: "Songs of December" Charts in Canada
Paul Anka's album "Songs of December" reached number 58 on the Canadian charts in November 2011.
2012: ARHT Media Co-founder
Paul Anka co-founded the holographic tech startup ARHT Media in 2012.
2012: Return to Pori Jazz Festival
Paul Anka made another appearance at the Pori Jazz Festival in 2012.
2013: My Way Autobiography Release
Paul Anka's autobiography, "My Way," co-written with David Dalton, was published in 2013.
2014: "Love Never Felt So Good" Released
Another song co-written by Paul Anka and Michael Jackson, "Love Never Felt So Good", was discovered and released in 2014.
October 2016: Marriage to Lisa Pemberton
Paul Anka married Lisa Pemberton in Beverly Hills, California, in October 2016.
2016: Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Appearance
Paul Anka made a guest appearance as himself in the "Spring" episode of "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life" in 2016.
2018: "Don't Matter to Me" Posthumous Release
"Don't Matter to Me", a collaboration between Paul Anka and Michael Jackson, was released posthumously for Jackson in 2018.
2019: Performance in Israel
Paul Anka performed in Israel for the fourth time in 2019, amidst calls for a boycott.
2020: Divorce from Lisa Pemberton
Paul Anka and Lisa Pemberton divorced in 2020.
2021: The Morecambe and Wise Show Rebroadcast
The 1970 episode of "The Morecambe and Wise Show" featuring Paul Anka was rebroadcast on BBC2 on Christmas Day 2021 after the tape recording was found.