Paul Anka

Paul Albert Anka ( born July 30, 1941 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian singer, composer, songwriter and actor. In the 1950s he was a teen idol. His song Diana is one of the most successful singles of all time.

Life

Paul Anka is the son of Lebanese parents who operated a restaurant in Ottawa. At 14, he took part in singing competitions in Canada. 1956 Paul Anka was visiting his uncle in Los Angeles, where he had the opportunity, Ernie Freeman, A & R Director of Modern Records which to sing. Freeman was convinced and allowed the minor to sign a record deal. It was formed in October 1956, the single I Confess / Blau- Wile Deveest -Fontaine (RPM # 472), titled after an African village from John Buchan's novel " Prestor John ", the Anka was to analyze in the summer for school. Background singers were the Cadets, with Stranded in the Jungle had just currently a huge hit at Modern in the charts. Thus Anka was the only white artist of this pure rhythm & blues label. However, it quickly became apparent that you could not do much with Anka and his music, so the title transposed only 3,000 pieces and then disappeared into the archives. This seemed to have ended Anka's singing career.

In May 1957 Paul Anka played in New York and three other songs producer and arranger Don Costa and his own composition, Diana before, with which he wanted to impress the three years older same babysitter its smaller siblings. Costa took on the title by Anka; more than ten million records were sold them worldwide. Anka became a teen idol. Diana is ranked among the ten best-selling singles of all time. There were other top hits.

Anka continued to write songs, including for Buddy Holly. For Frank Sinatra, he wrote the lyrics to the tune of My Way Comme d' habitude French chansons, he wrote for Tom Jones She's a Lady. He is a regular on panels and is in Las Vegas as an entertainer on stage. 2005 Anka Rock Swings began the project, the rock classics presented in the swing style. Anka also produced the Swing cover album by Michael Bublé.

Because of the success of the Rock Swings album he put 2007 another swing album by: Classic Songs - My Way. It contains, among other things Anka's Cyndi Lauper's version of Time After Time and Bob Seger Against the Wind, also Anka My Way sings a duet with Jon Bon Jovi.

Trivia

In 1961, he took a supporting role in the film The Longest Day. In the series Gilmore Girls Lorelai Gilmore has a dog named Paul Anka. Anka occurs in the 18th episode of the sixth season ( The real Paul Anka ) Himself up in a dream Lorelai. He is also seen in the Simpsons episode Treehouse of Horror VI and in the television series Las Vegas among other things, in the wake thieves and forgers.

Discography and chart quotations

See: Paul Anka / Discography

Filmography (selection)

Actor