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Paul Anka
Pop idol, teenage heart throb and a businessman of superhuman success, Paul Anka sometimes appears to be the embodiment of the Eisenhower years' American dream. In the 1950s, 'Puppy Love,' 'Diana,' and 'Put Your Head On My Shoulder' provided a safe alternative to that crotch-grabbing satanist Elvis Presley, but what's interesting is that Anka wrote most of the material he performed himself. After his pop career ground to a halt in the '60s, Anka bought the rights to his own music and lived off the money made in re-issues. He also wrote the Tom Jones hit 'She's a Lady' and the Sinatra favorite 'My Way.' In the 1970s Anka enjoyed a brief comeback singing duets with Odia Coates, an Oakland, Calif., singer he discovered. Anka is responsible for some of pop music's smarmiest moments, but the joke's on us because he's got more money than God.
Paul Anka OC (born July 30, 1941, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian-born American singer and songwriter. Anka began singing as a child and, encouraged by his parents, at age 14 he recorded his first single, 'I Confess.' In 1957 he went to New York city where he auditioned for ABC, singing a lovestruck verse he had written to a former babysitter, Diana Ayoub. The song, 'Diana,' brought Anka instant stardom as it rocketed to number one on the charts. 'Diana' is one of the best selling 45s in music history. He followed up with four songs that made it into the Top 20 in 1958, making him one of the biggest teen idols of the time. He toured Britain and then, with Buddy Holly, toured Australia.
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Artist Biography - Paul Anka
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 His talent went beyond singing, writing Buddy Holly's giant hit, 'It Doesn't Matter Anymore,' the theme for Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, Tom Jones' biggest hit record, 'She's A Lady', and 'My Way,' Frank Sinatra's signature song.
In the 1960s, Anka would begin acting in motion pictures as well as writing songs for them, most notably the theme for the hit movie The Longest Day. From his movie work, he wrote and recorded his monster hit, 'Lonely Boy.' He then went on to become one of the first pop singers to perform at the Las Vegas casinos.
After more than ten years without a hit record, in 1974 he teamed up with Odia Coates to record the number 1 hit, 'Having My Baby.' They would record two more duets that both made it into the Top 10.
By the 1970s, Anka's career centered around adult contemporary and big-band standards, played regularly in Las Vegas. On September 6, 1990, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He returned to his home town to buy a part of the Ottawa Senators hockey team.
Born to parents of Lebanese origin, in 1999 he returned to Lebanon for sell-out performances at the Forum de Beyrouth (The Beirut Forum).
Paul Anka was elected to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1980. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6840 Hollywood Blvd. In 1991, the Government of France honored him with the title 'Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters'. He was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 2005.
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For more information , enjoy the official homepage of Paul Anka
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