Paul Anka

At 83 years old, Paul Anka has this physical status:

Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor of Syrian and Lebanese descent.

Anka's hit songs include "Diana," "Lonely Boy," "Put Your Head on My Shoulder," and "You're" Having My Baby," which made Anka popular.

"She's a Lady" was the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and one of Tom Jones' most popular hits.

He also wrote the English lyrics to Claude François and Jacques Revaux's music for Frank Sinatra's signature song, "My Way," which has been covered by several, including Elvis Presley. He co-wrote the song "I Never Heard" with Michael Jackson in 1983.

In 2009, it was renamed and published under the brand "This Is It."

"Love Never Felt So Good," Jackson's co-wrote with Anka from the 1983 session, was released in 2014 on Jackson's posthumous album Xscape.

Johnny Mathis released the song in 1984. In 1990, Anka became a naturalized American citizen.

Early life

Anka was born in Ottawa, Ontario, to Camelia (née Tannis) and Andrew Emile "Andy" Anka Sr., who owned a restaurant called the Locanda. Both of his parents were of Lebanese descent. His father came from Bab Tuma, Damascus, Syria, and his mother, an immigrant from Lebanon, immigrated to Canada. He died when he was 18 years old.

Anka performed with the St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral choir, under the direction of Frederick Karam, with whom he studied music theory. Winnifred Rees' piano lessons. He attended Fisher Park High School, where he was a member of the Bobby Soxers, a vocal group.

Personal life

Anka was married to Anne de Zogheb, the niece of a Lebanese diplomat, Charles de Zogheb, from February 16, 1963 to 2001. The two met in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she was an undercover fashion model for the Eileen Ford Agency while on assignment and under contract. Zogheb, who was born in Egypt, is of Lebanese, English, French, Dutch, and Greek descent. In a celebration at Orly Airport in Paris, the couple married the following year.

He became a naturalized citizen of the United States on September 6, 1990.

Anna Bruberg, Anka's personal trainer, was born in Anka, Italy, in 2008. They divorced in 2010, and Paul has sole custody of their son. Anna appeared in the Swedish television series Svenska Hollywoodfruar (Swedish Hollywood Wives).

My Way, Anka's autobiography, co-written with David Dalton, was published in 2013.

Anka married Lisa Pemberton in Beverly Hills, California, in October 2016. In 2020, the two couples divorced.

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Career

When he was 14, Paul Anka recorded his first song, "I Confusess." He sang what was widely believed to be a lovestruck verse he had written to a former babysitter in 1956, when $100 was given to him by his uncle. In a 2005 interview with NPR's Terry Gross, he said it was to a child at his church whom he barely knew. "Diana," the resulting album, gained a following in Anka as it reached No. 1 on the charts. 1 on the Canadian and American music charts. "Diana" by a Canadian recording artist is one of the best-selling singles ever. He followed up with four songs that made it into the Top 20 in 1958, including "It's Time to Cry," which debuted at No. 8. "All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings" (All of a Sudden) No. 4 is a game of Heart Sings" that reached No. 10. He was 16 years old when he was named (at 17) as one of the top teen idols of the time. He toured Britain and Australia with Buddy Holly, then Australia. Anka performed "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," a Holly song that Holly wrote just before he died in 1959.

Anka stated shortly afterward:

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (reworked in 1962 from a song Anka wrote earlier called "Toot Sweet"); it had been rewritten with lyrics and recorded by Annette Funicello in 1959 as "It's Really Love"). He wrote "Toeddy" in 1960, a Top 20 hit for Connie Francis. Anka wrote the English lyrics to Frank Sinatra's signature song, "Comme d'habitude" (originally the French song "Comme d'habitude). Anka started acting in motion pictures as well as writing songs for them, most notably the theme for the hit film The Longest Day (which also served as the Canadian Airborne Regiment's official march), in which he made a cameo appearance as a US Army Ranger in the 1960s. He wrote and produced one of his greatest hits "Lonely Boy" for his film work. "My Home Town," a No. 82, was also written and recorded by the author. The same year, he was 8 pop hit for him. He went on to become one of the first pop stars to perform at Las Vegas casinos. In 1960, he appeared twice as himself in NBC's short-lived crime drama Dan Raven.

Anka bought the rights and ownership of his ABC-Paramount catalog in 1963 and re-recorded his earlier hits for RCA Victor, which he had started in 1960. Anka's career was shattered by the British Invasion, as did many American recording artists of the 1960s. By the end of the decade, he had concentrated on adult contemporary and big-band standards and began appearing regularly in Las Vegas.

Anka signed with Buddah Records in the 1970s, releasing two albums, the self-titled Paul Anka and Jubilation. The former, who was first published in 1971, had the song "She's a Lady," a song Anka produced that would become Anka's biggest hit for Welsh singer Tom Jones in the same year. Anka's version of Chart King failed to become a hit on the charts.

Anka switched names for the first time in his career after more than ten years without a top-five hit record, which marked a turning point in his career. He has worked with United Artists this year, and he has worked with Odia Coates in 1974 to win the No. 1 award. "You're Having My Baby") introduced Anka to a new generation of followers and demonstrated his tenacity among his original fan base, which was now maturing.

Anka produced five songs on Don Goodwin's album, as well as five others.

Anka and Coates will produce three more duets, including "One Man Woman/One Woman Man" (No. 1). (No. 7: I Don't Like to Sleep Alone) "I Don't Like to Sleep Alone" (No. 8) and the No. 81, which is the No. 8. "I Believe) There's Nothing Better Than Our Love" says the 15th century. He performed "Times of Your Life" on a jingle for Kodak written by Bill Lane (lyrics) and Roger Nichols (melody). Anka released it as a complete song, which peaked at No. 81. In 1976, there were 7th in the US pop chart. "Anytime (I'll Be There)" was Anka's second hit for Sinatra, peaking at No. 1. 33 years old. In the summer of 1983, Anka's last Top 40 hit in the United States was "Hold Me 'Til the Mornin' Comes," which featured backing vocals from then-Chicago frontman Peter Cetera, who reached No. 1. 2 on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart.

Celine Dion, Kenny G, Patti LaBelle, and Skyler Jett appeared on Anka's 1998 album A Body of Work, the first new US studio album since Walk a Fine Line in 1983; singers and performers included Celine Dion, Kenny G, Patti LaBelle, and Skyler Jett. The album also contained a new version of "Hold Me 'Til the Morning Comes," which was performed with Peter Cetera once more. Anka released a collection of big-band interpretations of contemporary Rock songs titled, Rock Swings, in 2005; the album served as an introduction to Anka's mainstream comeback, with Anka being named on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto.

Anka said on October 12, 2009, Michael Jackson's latest book, titled "This Is It," was a joint effort between the two companies. Jackson decided not to use it after recording the album, according to Anka, and the track was then released and released by Sa-Fire. The administrators of Jackson's estate gave Anka 50% of the copyright after Anka threatened to sue for credit and a piece of royal property. "Love Never Felt So Good," Jackson co-wrote with Anka from this 1983 session, was discovered shortly thereafter. Songs of December, his album Songs of December, debuted at No. ten in the United States. In November 2011, there were 58 in Canada.

Anka performed with a number of Italian musicians, including composer/director Ennio Morricone, singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti, and lyricist Mogol. According to his official discography, there are nine singles released by RCA Italiana, but the Italian charts list at least six other songs that he interpreted or recorded in Italian. His top hit was "Ogni giorno," which earned him No. 1. In 1962, they were the first in the United States, followed by "Piangers Perpete" and "Ogni volta," which were then followed by "Ogni volta" and "Ogni volta" on top. In 1963 and 1964, there were two in 1963 and 1964. During the 1964 Festival di Sanka ("Every Time"), Anka performed "Ogni volta" ("Every Time") and then exported more than one million copies in Italy alone; it was also given a gold disc.

Battisti-Mogol's "La farfalla impazzita" returned to San Francisco in 1968. On that occasion, Italian crooner Johnny Dorelli interpreted the same word. However, the two singers were disqualified before the final stage of the musical competition. Anka, perhaps coincidentally, left the Italian scene just after. Anka appeared in Bologna in 2003, hosted by the Italian company Mapei during the CERSAIE exhibition. With alternate lyrics devoted to the evening's sponsor, he made a version of "My Way."

He recorded a duet with 1960s Italian hitmaker Adriano Celentano, a new cover of "Diana," with Italian lyrics by Celentano-Mogol and singer-songwriter Alex Britti on the guitar. The album debuted at No. 1 in the United States. 3.

Since the start of his career, Paul Anka has been very popular in Finland. In 1959, he appeared in Linnanmäki in Lappeenranta, 1989, and in 2012, and in Tampere three times on August 8 and 9. In the 1991 Finnish film Prince of the Hit Parade (Iskelmäprinssi), directed by Juha Tapaninen, he appeared in Las Vegas. Anka's appearance in Linnanmäki is included in the film's archive video. Anka performs his song "How Long" in the film as background music.

With less success in Italy and Finland, Anka tried the French market too, with his first song, "Comme Avant," by Mireille Mathieu. He released Paul Anka à Paris in 1964, and the six tracks on side B were sung in French. On his discography, a single Japanese "Kokoro no Sasae"/"Shiawase e no Tabiji") is also listed. He recorded "It's Hard to Say Goodbye" on her album Reason Enough in 1993. This song was recorded several years by Anka and Celine Dion and was included on his album A Body of Work.

Anka has appeared in Israel four times, and in 2019 has denied pleas that he leave the country.

Acting career

In The Longest Day (1962), Anka's first acting appearance in a major film was as an army private. He also composed the title tune for the film. He appeared in such teen horror films as Girls Town (1959) and Look in Any Window (1961), in which he appeared as a peeping tom in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He later served as an Elvis-hating casino pit boss in 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001) and a yacht broker in Captain Ron (1992). In one of Perry Mason Made-for-TV films, The Case of the Maligned Mobster (1991), he guest starred as a murder suspect. In the episode "Red's Last Day" on That '70s Show and "The Real Paul Anka" episode of Gilmore Girls, he appeared as himself. He appeared on NBC TV show Las Vegas several times. He made a second appearance as himself in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life's second season in 2016, which was a revival of the original version.

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