Friday, October 16, 2015

Teen Idol, Pop Icon Paul Anka Brings Voluminous Hits to Strathmore, November 7

Paul Anka visits Strathmore, November 7

From our friends at Strathmore...

Strathmore Presents Paul Anka

Teen icon, legend of popular music performs voluminous song catalogue on Music Center stage

The teen idol of the '50s who parlayed stardom into an iconic career as a performer, songwriter, businessman, and recording artist, Paul Anka, brings his prolific legacy to the Music Center at Strathmore on Saturday, November 7, 2015 at 8 PM. A musician with more than 500 songs to his name, Anka lays claim to such hits as “Diana,” “My Way,” “Puppy Love,” “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” and many more. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (301) 581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

Born in 1941 in Ontario, Canada, Anka proved a child prodigy. He founded his own vocal group, the Bobbysoxers, at age 13, and by age 14 was stealing the family car to drive to amateur nights, marking the start of a prolific career and constant creative outpouring.


Anka’s early creative pursuits helped ignite his passion for music. He was tenacious in meeting record executives, managers, and performers. In 1957, he scored a meeting with Don Costa, the A&R representative for ABC-Paramount Records, playing him a batch of songs that included “Diana.” Costa was duly enthusiastic about the potential of the young singer-songwriter. The rapid and enormous success of “Diana,” his first number one hit, made Anka a star at age 15.

Soon Anka found himself traveling with the “Cavalcade of Stars” alongside the top names of the day. He was the youngest entertainer to ever perform at the Copa Cabana, and honed his craft surrounded by the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Frankie Lyman, and Chuck Berry.

After a few hit songs, Anka went on to share his gift, writing for Buddy Holly and Connie Francis. Other hit songs include the Academy Award-nominated theme for the film The Longest Day, in which he starred. He notably penned the longest-running theme in television history for The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

He was adopted as a protégé of the legendary Rat Pack, admired for his business savvy as much as his songwriting abilities. By the ’70s, the success of Anka’s “My Way,” immortalized by Frank Sinatra, and a string of hits like “(You’re) Having My Baby” confirmed his status as an icon of popular music. His later achievements as a recording artist included “Hold Me ‘Til the Morning Comes,” a hit duet with Peter Cetera in 1983, the Spanish-language album Amigos in 1996, and Body of Work, a 1998 duets album that featured Frank Sinatra, Celine Dion, and Tom Jones. It was also revealed that Anka co-wrote Michael Jackson’s posthumous worldwide hit, “This Is It,” further cementing his versatility as a songwriter.

Anka’s last two albums, Rock Swings and Classic Songs, My Way, saw the singer imbuing classics from rock performers with his own distinct delivery. In 2011, Anka released his first Christmas album in decades, Songs of December, featuring lush romantic versions of popular holiday songs.

In April 2013, Anka released his New York Times bestselling autobiography, My Way, chronicling his remarkable decades-long career. During the same time, his new 14-song album, Duets, was released, featuring artists such as Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Tom Jones, Celine Dion, and Michael Bublé. Duets provides a musical journey through the life and times of Paul Anka and set a milestone in Billboard Chart history. With the release of Duets, Anka became the only artist to have an album on the Billboard Top 100 Chart in seven separate decades.

Strathmore Presents 
Paul Anka
Saturday, November 7, 2015
8 PM 

Tickets $48-$125

Music Center at Strathmore
5301 Tuckerman Lane
North Bethesda, MD 20852

For additional information or to purchase tickets, visit www.strathmore.org or call (301) 581-5100.

About Strathmore:
Strathmore presents and produces exemplary visual and performing arts programs for diverse audiences; creates dynamic arts education experiences; and nurtures creative ideas and conversations that advance the future of the arts. The organization’s hallmark is the Music Center at Strathmore, with a 1,976-seat concert hall and education complex. Its core campus also includes the historic Mansion at Strathmore, which features an intimate Music Room and art galleries. Most recently, Strathmore opened AMP, a 250-seat cabaret-style venue located just up Rockville Pike from the core campus in the burgeoning Pike District of Montgomery County. Strathmore’s signature education, mission-driven programs include the Strathmore Student Concerts, the Artist in Residence and Fine Artist in Residence programs, and its Spring Break @ Strathmore camp.