In 1957, at the age of 16, Paul made his network debut on American Bandstand singing his song, “Diana”. Less than four weeks after that appearance, “Diana” would be the Number 1 song on Billboard’s charts.
Before he turned 18, he had five Top-20 hits and was a household name. By the late ’50s, Paul Anka had established himself as a prolific and successful singer/songwriter, with numerous appearances on American Bandstand, The Perry Como Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. In the wake of the British Invasion, the music of Paul Anka remained timely, ushering in such classics as “A Steel Guitar And A Glass Of Wine” and “Love Me Warm And Tender”.
With well over 900 songs to his credit, his music has been performed by such greats as Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Tom Jones, Buddy Holly, Linda Ronstadt, The Sex Pistols, Nina Simone, Gypsy Kings, and Robbie Williams – to name a few. In addition, his compositions for other artists have helped catapult their careers: “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” for Buddy Holly, “She’s a Lady” for Tom Jones, “Puppy Love” for Donny Osmond and “My Way” for Frank Sinatra. Anka has successfully collaborated with songwriters David Foster, Carol Bayer Sager, Richard Marx, Michael McDonald, Michael Jackson and many others.
A man of many talents, Paul Anka has done his fair share of acting in front of the camera, appearing in 3000 Miles to Graceland, Mad Dog Time and The Longest Day.