Paul Anka

Performing his dynamic, high energy show that will wow audiences at The Star's state-of-the-art Event Centre, this prolific composer, charismatic singer and actor rocketed to stardom with his first global hit, Diana, at the age of sixteen and his massive catalogue now contains nine hundred song writing credits, including these signature tunes - Put Your Head on My Shoulder, I Love You Baby, Lonely Boy, Puppy Love, (You're) Having My Baby, Dance On Little Girl, Time of Your  Life, It's Time To Cry, My Home Town, Hold Me Til The Morning Comes and those written for others - My Way (Frank Sinatra),  She's A Lady (Tom Jones), This Is It (with Michael Jackson), It Doesn't Matter Anymore (Buddy Holly) and It's Really Love (Annette Funicello – reworked as The Tonite Show with Johnny Carson theme).

'They are all very autobiographical", says Anka of his early hits.  'I was alone, traveling, girls screaming and I never got near them.   I'm a teenager and feeling isolated and all that.  That becomes Lonely Boy.  At record hops, I'm up on stage and all these kids are holding each other with heads on each other's shoulders.  That becomes Put Your Head on My Shoulder."

Seeking out his idols backstage and honing his craft on the Cavalcade of Stars tour bus in the company of Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and others, Anka was also the youngest entertainer to perform at the Copa Cabana.

One of his proudest accomplishments of that decade was writing the Academy Award nominated theme for the 1962 film The Longest Day, in which he also starred.

Becoming a junior associate of Sinatra and the Rat Pack also had its privileges.  By the -70s, the success of My Way and a string of hits like (You're) Having My Baby, confirmed his status as an icon of popular music.   His later achievements as a recording artist included Hold Me Til The Morning Comes, a hit duet in 1983 with Peter Cetera, the Spanish language album Amigos in 1996 and 1998's Body of Work, which featured Frank Sinatra, Celine Dion, Patti Labelle, Tom Jones and Anka's daughter Anthea.

It was revealed up on its release in 2009, that Anka co-wrote Michael Jackson's posthumous #1 global hit, This Is It, which has further cemented his place upon the most prolific and versatile songwriters of any generation.

Anka's most recent albums, Rock Swings and Classic Songs, My Way, feature ingeniously transformed songs created by several genres of established artists - from Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit to Bon Jovi's It's My Life, Lionel Richie's Hello and Oasis' Wonderwall.   Rock Swings certified Gold in the UK, France and Canada, reached #2 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart and has currently sold half a million units globally.  My Way includes duets with many of the great artists with whom he has collaborated - Michael Buble', Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Charles Aznavour and others.

Anka's fascinating autobiography also entitled My Way, was published this year to great critical acclaim and commercial success.

After 40 years, this is your one chance to spend An Evening with the Legendary Paul Anka at the The Star Event Centre on Sunday 9 March 2014.