Frank Sinatra always wanted Paul Anka to write a song for him. But whenever Sinatra and Anka got together, it was all about lavish dinners, extravagant adventures and a ring-a-ding-ding sorta time.
Eventually, Anka got around to it. The song in question was “My Way.” And "My Way" went on to become one of the most covered songs in history. (Not bad for a song called "Comme d'habitude," which Ottawa's own Anka happened to hear on French television and then set words to.) In the video above, Anka tells the story.
For more Anka-ness, note that he has a new recording called Duets, being released April 9, a collection featuring a star-studded cast of singers including the aforementioned Sinatra, along with Michael Jackson, Michael Bublé, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and others.
Not only that, but his autobiography, called, not surprisingly, My Way, comes out that same day. According to a feature interview in Maclean's, the book digs up a whole lotta dirt. For example, Anka asked the soon-to-die Sinatra, "Who was the best in bed?" (Answer: Angie Dickinson.) He also shares many personal observations about Sinatra, whom he describes as having "an irrational loathing for Barbra Streisand," among other extreme pronouncements.
Related:
Paul Anka’s Duets: album stream and exclusive video [Live until April 9]
This Day in Music: Paul Anka gives Buddy Holly his last hit