Paul Anka’s music survived the test of time because he did things his way

Lucky BT subscribers will get a chance to watch the legendary crooner sing his evergreen hits such as Diana, Put Your Head On My Shoulder and more at upcoming Singapore show

Dylan Tan

Published Tue, May 2, 2023 · 11:40 AM

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From television to TikTok, Paul Anka’s career has lived through it all.

He burst onto the scene in 1957 when he was just 16 years old with Diana – a pop ditty he wrote about his crush on an older girl – and the rest is history.

Over the course of the next seven decades, Anka would go from teenage pop idol to crooner and singer-songwriter, penning over 500 songs for himself and everyone from Frank Sinatra (My Way) to Tom Jones (She’s a Lady) and Michael Jackson (This is It).

He has sold over 100 million albums and his latest record, Sessions, featuring reimagined versions of songs by some of Anka’s favourite songwriters, was released in 2022.

The 81-year-old will bring his Greatest Hits, His Way tour to Singapore in May, and the concert will be his first here in nine years.

The show will feature a career-spanning setlist that is sure to include many of his classics such as Diana, Put Your Head on My Shoulders, Puppy Love and more.

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Anka has sold over 100 million records over the span of seven decades. PHOTO: AEG PRESENTS

Speaking over the phone from Los Angeles, he said he did not envision any of this happening when he was starting out in music: “I just went through every decade and tried to survive each of it.”

Working in Las Vegas with the Rat Pack and for the mafia as a young boy, however, became his “learning ground” for both life and music.

Anka shared: “It was an amazing time for me as a young kid – you’ve got these great records and you’re making money for the mob – and you see Marilyn Monroe and John F Kennedy coming in to party… there was never any danger if you knew what the rules were.”

His clean-living lifestyle has allowed Anka to outlive many of his peers and friends, including Sinatra and Elvis Presley (“I used to tell him to watch his weight and what he’s doing!”), but what is even more amazing is how his evergreen hits find new life all the time.

Most recently, Put Your Head On My Shoulder went viral on TikTok and was discovered by a whole new generation of young fans.

“I take no responsibility for any of this – I simply continued to work and did what I did – but I look at all of it with a sense of gratification,” Anka quipped.

Paul Anka’s Greatest Hits, His Way Asia Tour 2023 comes to Singapore at The Star Theatre on May 13. Tickets from S$98 (excluding S$4 booking fee) are on sale at Ticketmaster online. The Business Times (BT) is giving away five pairs of category 2 tickets (worth S$228 each) to subscribers. To take part, click on https://subrewards.sph.com.sg/paulanka