For Paul Anka, the moment Chuck Berry deemed his song Diana a 'worst song I've ever heard' was merely the opening salvo in an eight-decade battle of wills. The 84-year-old singer songwriter laughs as he says 'revenge is a motivator like you won't believe.' Back then it would have led to writing more songs, which happened to become huge hits globally.
Anka's story starts with ambitions that could only be described as relentless. At 15 years of age in 1956, Anka idolized Chuck Berry and after Berry agreed to listen to one of his compositions behind the scenes, things took a dramatic turn. The response was scathing – 'that's the worst song I've ever heard, go back to school.' But instead of being discouraged, he used it as fuel for his fire.
Within just one year Diana rose to No 1 in both the US and UK making Anka the first Canadian artist to top the American charts. It was a triumph that allowed him to put his guitar away, knowing it would be his last day at school. As an added bonus, he retained the publishing rights for all his compositions – 'without the writer of the song there's no record companies, no executives, no lawyers. There's nothing,' Anka explained.
Over the decades Anka has written songs that have become timeless classics, not just among teenagers but across generations – My Way and Put Your Head on My Shoulder. His music also crossed languages with his famous hits recorded in Italian making him one of the biggest-selling stars in that country.
Despite facing stiff competition with trends like the British Invasion in the 60s, Anka reinvented himself and found new success through acting, collaborating with artists from today's generation – including Drake and even using Michael Jackson's estate to secure a share of publishing for his late songs.
Now at 84, he is set to release an album and tour performing his hit 'Puppy Love' which has been performed for decades by fans worldwide. According to Anka, singing that song still brings him a sense of pride.
Anka's story starts with ambitions that could only be described as relentless. At 15 years of age in 1956, Anka idolized Chuck Berry and after Berry agreed to listen to one of his compositions behind the scenes, things took a dramatic turn. The response was scathing – 'that's the worst song I've ever heard, go back to school.' But instead of being discouraged, he used it as fuel for his fire.
Within just one year Diana rose to No 1 in both the US and UK making Anka the first Canadian artist to top the American charts. It was a triumph that allowed him to put his guitar away, knowing it would be his last day at school. As an added bonus, he retained the publishing rights for all his compositions – 'without the writer of the song there's no record companies, no executives, no lawyers. There's nothing,' Anka explained.
Over the decades Anka has written songs that have become timeless classics, not just among teenagers but across generations – My Way and Put Your Head on My Shoulder. His music also crossed languages with his famous hits recorded in Italian making him one of the biggest-selling stars in that country.
Despite facing stiff competition with trends like the British Invasion in the 60s, Anka reinvented himself and found new success through acting, collaborating with artists from today's generation – including Drake and even using Michael Jackson's estate to secure a share of publishing for his late songs.
Now at 84, he is set to release an album and tour performing his hit 'Puppy Love' which has been performed for decades by fans worldwide. According to Anka, singing that song still brings him a sense of pride.
. I love how he reinvented himself in the acting world and collaborated with some big names too 
. He's proof that you can stay relevant even after all these years. And singing "Puppy Love" still gives him a sense of pride? That's amazing! 
, but one thing is for sure – the guy is still kicking and living his best life at 84 
. But on the other hand, I mean, what if he'd taken a different path? Maybe he would've become a great actor or something instead of just focusing on music 
. And honestly, collaborating with artists from today's generation like Drake might be seen as kinda cheesy by some people 
. But hey, at the end of the day, Paul Anka is still a legend and his music lives on 
. Theres something to be said about not giving up on your passion and using rejection as fuel to keep going 
.
. Anka's also had an amazing career reinvention, from acting to collaborating with modern artists – it just goes to show you're never too old to make a comeback! 
! I mean, getting dissed by Chuck Berry and still going on to write some of the biggest hits of all time? That's what I call determination 
. He's not just a singer, he's a master songwriter and entrepreneur. My Way is more than just a song, it's an anthem for anyone who's ever felt underappreciated 
. I'm hyped to hear him perform Puppy Love again, I know I will be singing along