Teen heartthrobs seemed to be a dime a dozen in the late 1950s and early 1960s, but Paul Anka had something most of them didn't. Along with having the looks and voice to become a teen phenomenon, Anka had also developed his songwriting skill into an incredible tool. He was born in 1941 in Ottawa, Canada into a Lebanese family. He started singing in his parents' church while very young and he learned to play the piano. He took courses in journalism, further developing his skills as a writer. By his early teens, he was stealing his mother's car to perform at local amateur nights.

In 1956 he traveled to Los Angeles and soon found a deal with Modern Records. HE released the single "Blau-Wile Deverest Fontaine," but the single did not fare well. He met Don Costa of ABC-Paramount Records in New York in 1957 and played songs he had written for him. This meeting led to the release of Anka's breakout hit "Diana." He went on the road as a teen star, but the fame was a lot for the young star to handle. The pressure led to him writing the songs "Lonely Boy" ad "Put Your Head on My Shoulder."

He released the song "Puppy Love" in 1960, which marked another major hit for Anka. The Beatles seemed to erase nearly every other teen star off of the map in the 1960s, but Anka kept on writing. He wrote for Buddy Holly and Connie as well as film themes. He also continued to write and release his own albums. In the 1970s, he wrote the famous song "My Way," which was sung by the legendary Frank Sinatra. Sinatra later lent his vocals to a duets album that Anka released in 1998. He still routinely performs in Las Vegas and elsewhere and also still releases albums like 2005's Rock Swings as well as greatest hits and live albums.