Table of Contents
Introduction About Paul Anka
“Put Head On My Shoulders” sounds familiar? Are you subconsciously humming it in your mind? If you consistently scroll through Instagram reels, you will find this familiar. If you were wondering who sang this love-struck verse, well this article is all about him, Paul Anka.
A gifted singer, songwriter, and actor, Paul has won many hearts around the world with his phenomenal performances. He has his share of hits including, “Diana” and “Lonely Boy”. In addition to these, he has co-written various songs for famous personalities like Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra. Here’s a look at his life till now.
Net Worth & Salary of Paul Anka in 2022
As of 2022, the net worth of Paul Anka is $80 million.
Most of his earnings can be traced back to his record sales, his songwriting, and his career as an actor.
Age, Early Life & Biography of Paul Anka
As of 2022, Paul Anka is 81 years old.
Paul was born to parents of Lebanese and Syrian descent. His father, Andrew Emily “Andy” Anka Sr, moved to Canada from Syria, and his mother, Camelia Ankain, is of Lebanese descent. They owned a restaurant in Ottawa that was popular with the locals including businessmen and journalists. Paul grew up with two other siblings and lost his mother when he was merely 18.
His schooling was in Fisher Park High School where he was in a vocal trio called Bobby Soxers. They performed locally in Ottawa. As a teen, he self-taught himself to play the guitar and the piano. He has himself admitted to not being an easy child.
He left for Los Angeles at the early age of 15 to try his luck at singing. After scurrying down the streets of Manhattan, he met Don Costa, an executive producer at ABC/Paramount record, who agreed to listen to his music. Not long after his interaction, Paul was signed up by the label.
| Name: | Paul Albert Anka |
| Gender: | Male |
| Age: | 81 years |
| Birth Date: | 30th July 1941 |
| Birth Place: | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Nationality: | Canadian-American |
| Height: | 1.67 m |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Marital Status: | Unmarried |
| Wife/Spouse (Name): | Anna de Zogheb (1963-2001)Anna Åberg (2008-2010)Lisa Pemberton (2016-2020) |
| Children/Kids (Son and Daughter): | 5 daughters, 1 sonAlexandra, Amanda, Alicia, Anthea, Amelia, and Ethan Anka |
| Dating/Girlfriend (Name): | N/A |
| Profession: | Actor, Singer, and Songwriter |
| Yearly Income: | $5 million |
| Net Worth in 2022 | $80 million |
| Content Last Updated: | August 2022 |
Personal Life of Paul Anka
Anka married Anna de Zogheb, daughter of a Lebanese diplomat in the year 1963. These two met in Puerto Rico when Anna was working as a fashion model on assignment. They shared five beautiful daughters- Alexandra, Amanda, Alicia, Anthea, and Amelia. They divorced in 2001.
Paul married his trainer, Anna Åberg, in Italy in the year 2008. They divorced in 2010 with Paul earning full custody of their son, Ethan Anka.
In 2016, he remarried Lisa Pemberton in Beverly Hills, California. They ended up divorcing in 2020.
Paul became a naturalized citizen of the United States on September 6, 1990.
In the year 2013, Anka’s biography, My Way, was published. It was co-written by David Dalton.
Career of Paul Anka
Paul was 14 when “I Confess”, his first single was recorded. After being signed up by ABC Records, “Diana” was released. It went on to become a massive hit, starring at no. 1 on the US and Canadian charts, and selling almost 20 million copies worldwide. It was highly speculated that “Diana” was written about his former babysitter. Years later in an interview, he admitted to having written the song about a church girl he hardly knew. After being ushered into the limelight with the success of “Diana”, he delivered four more songs that made their way into the Top 20s in 1958, including “It’s Time to Cry”, which hit number 4. His success was propelled upwards with the release of “Lonely Boy” (1959), “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” (1959), and “Puppy Love” (1960).
The theme for “The Tonight Show Starring Jonny Carson” was a result of Paul’s immense songwriting talent. Paul has showcased his songwriting skills by penning down the English lyrics to Frank Sinatra’s hit, “My Way” (1969) and Tom Jones’s “She’s a Lady” (1971). Paul has also co-written three songs with Michael Jackson, “This is It”, ”Love Never Felt So Good” and “Don’t Matter to Me”, which went on to become Jackson’s late hits.
During the 1960s, Paul shifted his attention to acting in motion pictures and writing songs for them, the most notable of which is the theme for the hit film, “The Longest Day”. He also made a cameo in this film as a US Army Ranger. It was during this point that he wrote and recorded some of his biggest hits, “Lonely Boy” and “My Home Town”. He was one of the first singers to perform in Las Vegas casinos. In 1960, he appeared in NBC’s short-lived crime drama, Dan Raven.
In the mid-1960s, Paul started to fall out of popularity and after more than ten years of no chart-topping records, he switched labels. This turned the trajectory of his career towards success once again. Signed with United Artists and paired with Odia Coates, he recorded their No. 1 hit, ”(You’re) Having My Baby”. This pair went on to record three more songs. In 1975, Paul recorded a jingle for Kodak. Its popularity made Paul turn ”Times of Your Life”, into a full song which made it number 7 on US pop charts. He followed this up by writing another hit song for Sinatra,” Anytime (I’ll be There)”.” Hold Me Til the Mornin’ Comes” was the final top 40 hit for Anka in the US.
Paul toured and continued releasing concert recordings throughout the 1980s and 90s. A Spanish album Amigos was released in 1996 and it was very successful.
“A Body of Work” (1998) consisted of newly made or remade songs, performed as solos or duets with fabulous artists like Dion and LaBelle. “Rock Swings” and “Classic Songs: My Way”, saw Anka revisiting hits originally sung by other artists. His career graph demonstrated his highly articulate way of expression and his prolific talent as a songwriter and singer.
Awards & Achievements of Paul Anka
In the year 1975, Paul Anka won the Juno award (an award for songwriting) for Composer of the year. He has received many Juno award nominations.
He was enlisted in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1980. The Ottawa City Council named 26th August “Paul Anka Day” after Paul to commemorate his quarter-century in show business.
He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in October 2004.
He was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2005.
In 1972, a street in Ottawa was named Paul Anka Drive.
Major Investments and Assets of Paul Anka
In 2007, Paul owned a 3 bedroom, 5 bathroom Mediterranean mansion in Mulholland Estates, Beverly Hills, worth $5.995 million. He also owned a house in Westlake Village, California.
Must Watch Latest Video and Trending Photographs of Paul Anka
This 9-minute-long video shows Paul talking about his music and inspirations and letting people in on some of his life’s adventures.
Instagram Handle of Paul Anka
