Legend spills on what keeps him going: ‘I love what I’m doing’
Legendary singer and songwriter Paul Anka is all set for his tour stop in LA this Saturday, March 5.
“Wouldn’t it be great that on the anniversary of ‘My Way’ and Sinatra after his death to do some of the arrangements that he gave me and do an evening of Sinatra and my hits,” Anka told the Asian Journal in an interview days before his Beverly Hills pitstop.
The crooner said that they have just left Florida last week for some sold-out shows.
“People showed up, they love the concept. So I’m gonna keep doing it and then we wind up in Vegas. After LA, we’re doing a television special and doing the anniversary of the Smith Center in Vegas. And that will be what we’re going to do for March,” he added.
Anka was only 14 years old when he started his career and recorded his first single and at the age of 16, his song “Diana” topped both the U.S. and Canadian charts.
His prolific career saw him reaping success in both writing and recording standards that have become beloved timeless classics. From “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” “Lonely Boy,” and “Puppy Love,” to writing “She’s a Lady” for Tom Jones and the English lyrics to “My Way” for Frank Sinatra, Anka says this tour is meant to give his fans the classics that they love.
“The Anka Sings Sinatra tour will honor a great artist who has influenced me more than anyone else throughout my career, Frank Sinatra,” he shared. “It will also feature the hits that have spanned my career on this 62nd anniversary year. It will be a night filled with his songs, my songs, my way!”
Yes, that’s right. Anka is celebrating 62 years of being in the business and there are no signs of stopping nor slowing down.
The legend, who celebrated his milestone 80th birthday last year, is thankful for lasting this long.
“I love what I’m doing. Music is timeless I feel and as long as that’s there and the people show up, I’m there because I don’t know what else to do with myself in terms of something I love to do,” Anka explained. “I just don’t believe in age being a factor of quitting because what we do we’re successful at, our tour has been sold out and we’re going to start the west coast part at Saban.”
After his concerts in the U.S., Anka is all set to do a world tour starting in July in Europe. He shared that they’re also going to go to Asia and Australia in February to see his fans over there.
And of course, there’s going to be a stop in the Philippines.
The singer holds fond memories of his young career performing for audiences in Manila.
“The Philippines was the first major country when I was a kid that I went for four or five shows at the Araneta Coliseum. They have always been very supportive of me,” he recalled.
The fan support he got from Filipinos did not stop there.
“The audiences that I get, whether in New Yorker or the West Coast, I can guarantee you a respectful percentage that comes in are from the Philippines,” he shared. “They are so passionate about their music, and singing and the way they’ve embraced my music all these years. In fact, last week, we started negotiating to go back to Manila next February.”
(Paul Anka will perform this Satuday, March 5 at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills. For ticket and details, visit www.ticketmaster.com)
