What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas.
But not when it comes to Paul Anka.
The man who wrote (the song) "My Way" has now written (the book) My Way (St. Martin’s Press, $29.99). From teen idol to movie star to Rat Pack regular during Vegas’ mobster and showgirl heyday, Anka has lived a life well beyondwhat his crooning reveals. My Way is the remarkable story of a decades-long career as a pop star, actor and singer-songwriter, and how Anka parlayed his talent into lasting success through pop music’s many upheavals.
The book bursts with rich, rollicking stories of the people who have been part of Anka's life: Elizabeth Taylor, Tom Jones, Steve Wynn, Michael Jackson, Dodi Fayed, Brooke Shields, Donald Trump, Sammy Davis, Jr., Brigitte Bardot, even the acrobats in the Barnum & Bailey Circus.
At just 15 years old, his#1 hit song “Diana” made Anka a teen idol in the 1950s, and his slew of hits—from “Puppy Love” to “Put Your Head on my Shoulder”—earned him a place touring the country with rock & roll stars like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly. He even wrote Holly’s last hit,“It Doesn’t Matter Anymore.”
Anka also reveals what happened behind the scenes of the beach-party movie era, as he wrote music for the movies and romanced many starlets, including Annette Funicello, with whom Anka found private time by having one of his entourage distract Funicello’s mother with card games.
He saw the British invasion coming before it took over the American music scene, andkept his career thriving by touring the world, until returning home for his “comeback,” becoming a charter member of the Rat Pack, writing the theme music for The Tonight Show as well as his friend Frank Sinatra’s anthem “My Way”.
In My Way, Anka recounts:
• Dick Clark’s links to the Payola scandal
• Teddy Kennedy making a pass at Anka’s wife Anne at dinner
• Elvis’ violent response whenever Robert Goulet came on TV
• RCA’s reaction when they found out Anka gave “My Way” to Sinatra for free
• Losing his cool when Liz Taylor showed up at his hotel room
Running with the Rat Pack put him in the company of some of the most notorious mobsters in the country, including Sam Giancana, who “delivered the state of Illinois to Kennedy.” Recalling JFK’s friendship with Sinatra and his escapades in Vegas, Anka writes: “He used to read the menus of what the hookers would do and his eyes would light up.”
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