Songwriters Hall of FameInducted 1993 | BMI Writer

When Paul Anka emerged from the Canadian capital city of Ottawa into the international music market with his plaintive song, "Diana," a rich and imaginative new vein of musical style entered the pop mainstream. The 15-year-old Anka whose wailing lament about an older woman on whom he had a distinct crush, had a special down-to-earth feel to his music with which almost ankÂne could identify.

At a time in the late '50s when there was much rocking and rolling going on with the likes of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and the Motown groups hitting the charts repeatedly, Anka's young heart was giving vent to typical and relatively uncomplicated teen style thinking. Among the best-known titles of that early era: “Put Your Head On My Shoulder,” “You Are My Destiny," "Lonely Boy" and "Puppy Love." As one columnist has observed, "Anka cut a special musical niche filled with the wonders of romance."

By the early '60s, Anka had become well established as a major new performing star and prolific songwriter. He was a frequent guest on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand," through which he continued to expand his profile. Expanding too were his songwriting skills as he moved into more sophisticated fare. In 1962, he wrote what may well be the most played-on-the-air song in television history, "The Tonight Show" theme, universally recognized for 30 years and said to have been performed more than 1,400,000 times during the show's long run with host, Johnny Carson.

By this time, Anka had taken up residence in The United States and was busily creating movie music. His soundtrack for "The Longest Day," a…

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