Photo: Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Paul Anka is, to my mind, the ultimate craftsman of popular song. The teenage idol who wrote Diana could easily have faded with the fifties, but he made one of the smartest pivots in show business: writing for others. Penning the English lyrics to My Way for Sinatra means his fingerprints are on the century's soundtrack even where his name is not printed. I admire entertainers who understand that longevity is a skill rather than luck, and Anka, an Ottawa kid who stayed on stage for more than half a century, embodies that completely. He is living proof that being a great writer outlasts being a great heartthrob.
Overview
Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, and actor. His songs include "Diana", "You Are My Destiny", "Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", "(You're) Having My Baby" and "My Way".
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Paul Anka
- Name (Japanese)
- ポール・アンカ
- Reading
- ぽーる・あんか
- Born
- July 30, 1941 (age 84)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Snake
- Origin
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / film actor / singer-songwriter / singer / composer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Fisher Park High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- Officer of the Order of Canada
- 1975 Juno Award for Songwriter of the Year
- 1980 Canadian Music Hall of Fame
- 2005 Canada's Walk of Fame
- 1991 Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
- 2008 Johnny Mercer Award
- 1984 star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 2010 Great Immigrants Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Actor — see all → · Film actor — see all → · More people from Canada →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.