Trivia

He discovered Michael Bublé, Corey Hart and David Clayton-Thomas.

Father-in-law of actor/director Jason Bateman, who married Paul's daughter, Amanda Anka in 2001.

Composed theme song for Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962).

Wrote "Diana", a love song, for the 18-year-old babysitter of his younger brother and sister. The song became America's top song in September of 1957.

Lorelai Gilmore's dog on Gilmore Girls (2000) is named after him.

He wrote "Lonely Boy" for his mother, who died of diabetes.

To date, Paul has recorded 125 albums--including songs in Japanese, German, Spanish, French, and Italian--and sold more than 15 million worldwide.

Wrote the 1960 song "Puppy Love" about his romance with Annette Funicello. In 1972 the song became a huge hit for Donny Osmond.

"My Way", the song he wrote for Frank Sinatra, is tagged as the "Killer Song" in the Philippines. It's the top pick of drinking buddies in karaoke/videoke bars and when sung off-key, the singer is usually roughed up (or oftentimes shot or stabbed to death) by other drunks in the bar.

Formerly co-owner of the NHL's Ottawa Senators.

He started singing at age 12.

Has street named after him in Ottawa, Paul Anka Dr.

Has 5 daughters, 1 son and 8 grandchildren.

Father of five daughters with Anne de Zogheb, his first ex-wife: Alexandra Anka, Amanda Anka, Alicia Anka, Anthea Anka and Amelia Anka.

Not only did he appear in El día más largo del siglo (1962), he also composed the main theme for the film.

At 15, he won a supermarket contest to collect the most number of Campbell's Soup wrappers. The prize was a train trip to Manhattan.

Daughter Anthea Anka duetted with him on the track "Do I Love You" from his album "A Body of Work" (1998) (on which Bee Gee Barry Gibb sang backing vocals).

His reported income is about $300,000 per month (as of July 2017 when reported to the court in his winning effort to gain sole custody of his son).

Pictured on one of four 52¢ Canadian commemorative postage stamps honoring Canadian Recording Artists, issued 29 June 2007. The other stamps pictured Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, and Anne Murray.

Paul Anka's first acting role was an uncredited cameo on the La dimensión desconocida (1959), season one, episode 5, 1958, Walking Distance (1959). In the final scene, he plays a soda jerk who has a conversation with the main character, Martin Sloan, portrayed by Gig Young.

Met first wife Anne de Zogheb, during filming of El día más largo del siglo (1962), and married her in Paris, France in 1963, one year after they first met.

Has dual Canadian/American citizenship. Became a U.S. citizen on September 6, 1990.

Father of Amanda Anka and Alexandra Anka.

During a live show Paul Anka on camera identified himself as a Catholic born in Canada to Lebanese immigrants.

His song "Times of Your Life," originally a commercial jingle for Eastman Kodak Company's Kodak cameras in early 1975, was later released as a single (from his 1975 album of the same name) in late 1975, and became a Billboard hit in January 1976, when it hit #1 on Billboard's easy listening (adult contemporary) chart, and then peaking at #7 on Billboard's pop (Hot 100) chart in February 1976, remaining on Billboard's Top 40 for a total of 12 weeks. The song was written by Roger Nichols (music) and Bill Lane (lyrics).

The first and second names of his five daughters and second wife both begin and end with the letter "A". In the case of his five daughters (all born from his first marriage to Anne de Zogheb), the beginning and ending A's were conscious decisions, but in the case of his second wife, Anna Anka (Anna Aberg Anka, married to Paul from 2008-2010), it was a coincidence, which he also chose not to repeat in the naming of his first and only son (and only child with Anna Anka), Ethan Anka, born 2004, prior to Paul and Anna's marriage.

He was awarded the O.C. (Officer of the Order of Canada) on October 29, 2004 and invested on: June 10, 2005 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada One of the most popular singer-songwriters of our time, he began his journey to stardom in Ottawa in the early 1950s. Hits like "Diana," "Lonely Boy" and "Puppy Love" catapulted him to the top of the charts, an unprecedented achievement for an 18-year-old. He has sold over 60 million records, impressing both his public and peers with his unique blend of talent and ambition. Generous with his time and talent, he promotes a number of charitable causes and fund-raising events, including "A Night to Remember," in support of the Canadian Liver Foundation. In addition, his commitment to aspiring Canadian performers and composers has been unwavering.

He released a version of the song "Kabhi Kabhie" from the film Kabhie Kabhie (1976) starring Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan.

Won sole custody of his son Ethan, by court action in July 2017.

He was awarded the 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Canadian Governor General for his services to Canada.

On September 7, 1957 he recorded his United States (network) and (overall) world TV premiere appearance, as himself, with host Ed Sullivan on Episode #10.50 (1957), which was broadcast the following day, September 8, 1957, just as his song, "Diana," was charting in the US (#1 on Billboard for one week in September) and the UK (#1 for nine weeks beginning in September). His first live appearance was broadcast on December 4, 1957, with hostess Patti Page, on Episode #1.12 (1957). Mistakenly, some believe his first overall TV appearance was on "Sunday Night at the London Palladium" (Episode #3.13 (1957)) in the UK, but it was neither his first television appearance, nor was it his first live appearance, as it was broadcast on December 8, 1957, which was four days after the December 4, 1957 broadcast of "The Big Record." He sang his hit song "Diana" on both "The Big Record" and the "Palladium" shows, and both shows were live. "The Big Record" was his first live TV appearance in the US, or anywhere, "Palladium" was his first TV appearance (live or recorded) in the UK or Europe, and "The Ed Sullivan Show" was his overall worldwide television debut, happening three months before the two live shows in December 1957.

Anka played Sammy Glick for one week in the Broadway musical, "What Makes Sammy Run?" beginning on July 13, 1964.

Was Mel Brooks first choice for the role of Leo Bloom in Los productores (1967) (both stage and screen). Brooks started writing it as a Broadway play called "Springtime for Hitler," and envisioned Anka as the lead character. Anka turned him down for both.

He is friends with Ryan Reynolds and meets him once in a while (according to Ryan).

Co-wrote Michael Jackson's posthumous hit "Love Never Felt So Good" (2014).

Married his second ex-wife, Anna Anka, in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy in 2008, four years after the birth of his only son, and their only child together, Ethan, born 2004. They divorced in 2010, and Anka was awarded sole physical custody in 2017, by court proceedings.

Singer/songwriter

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1993.

Played himself on an episode of Los Simpson (1989).

Had a song duet with Regine Velasquez titled "It's Hard To Say Goodbye".

His childhood ambition was to be a lawyer or a journalist.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984 for Recording at 6840 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

He was nominated for the 2019-2020 Class of New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Performing Arts category.

Got a Gold Disc for Diana.