His childhood ambition was to be a lawyer or a journalist.
His song "Times of Your Life", originally a commercial jingle for Kodak cameras, was a Billboard #1 pop hit in 1973.
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1993.
Lorelai Gilmore's dog on "Gilmore Girls" (2000) is named after him.
makes his first network TV appearance (in the U.S.), as he features his soon-to-be #1 hit "Diana". [7 August 1957]
Married his second ex-wife, Anna Anka, in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy. They have one son, Ethan (b. 2004).
Not only did he appear in The Longest Day (1962), he also composed the main theme for the film.
Pictured on one of four 52¢ Canadian commemorative postage stamps honoring Canadian Recording Artists, issued 29 June 2007. The other stamps pictured Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, and Anne Murray.
Played himself on an episode of "The Simpsons" (1989).
Singer/songwriter
To date, Paul has recorded 125 albums--including songs in Japanese, German, Spanish, French, and Italian--and sold more than 15 million worldwide.
Was Mel Brooks first choice for the role of Leo Bloom in "The Producers." Brooks started writing it as a Broadway play called "Springtime for Hitler," and envisioned Anka as the lead character.
Wrote "Diana", a love song, for the 18-year-old babysitter of his younger brother and sister. The song became America's top song in September of 1957.
Wrote the song "Puppy Love" about his romance with Annette Funicello.