Paul Anka - Songs

ABOUT

Paul Anka (b. July 30, 1941) is a highly acclaimed and veteran Canadian-American singer, songwriter, actor, and former teen idol who became famous beginning in the late 1950s. His best known songs include "Diana" (1957), "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" (1958), "Lonely Boy" (1959), "Puppy Love" (1960), and "(You're) Having My Baby" (1974, with Odia Coates). A prolific songwriter, he has penned hits for artists as diverse as Buddy Holly, Connie Francis, Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Jackson in addition to his own songs.

Born in Ottawa, Canada, he studied piano and sang in his church's choir as a child and was performing with his own vocal trio by his early teens. In 1956, at age 14, he recorded his first single, "I Confess" (b/w "Blau-Wile-Deveest-Fontaine") on the RPM label, and the following year, he landed a contract with ABC-Paramount. At the height of his commercial fame as a teen idol, he appeared in such movies as "Girls Town" (1959), "Look In Any Window" (1961), and "The Longest Day" (1962), and also composed the title theme to the latter movie.

Paul Anka debuted in 1957 with "Diana," which topped both the R&B and Pop/Rock charts and became among his greatest hits. This smash also became a top hit on many charts worldwide and made him a star, along with such oldies classics as "You Are My Destiny" (1958), "(All Of A Sudden) My Heart Sings" (1958), "Lonely Boy" (1959), "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" (1959), "It's Time To Cry" (1959), "Puppy Love" (1960), "My Home Town" (1960), "Tonight My Love, Tonight" (1961), "Dance On Little Girl" (1961), and "Love Me Warm And Tender" (1962). Anka's long string of mostly self-penned hits continued through the early 1980s on both the Pop/Rock and Adult Contemporary charts, and in the mid 1970s, he had a resurgence in popularity with the chart-topping "(You're) Having My Baby" (1974) and several other duets with Odia Coates. Other later hits include the Adult Contemporary chart-topper, "Times Of Your Life" (1975), based on a commercial jingle he recorded for Kodak. His final charting song came in 1984 with "Second Chance," a Top 20 Adult Contemporary chart hit.

Over the years, Paul Anka has been a longtime attraction in Las Vegas, and he has continued to perform and record to the present day. His numerous honors and accolades include being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1993 and receiving the 2008 Johnny Mercer Award. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2004.

LINKS

MERCHANDISE

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SONGS

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Paul Anka With Odia Coates

Paul Anka

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