Paul Anka is one of the most towering figures in popular music, a songwriting prodigy who gave the world classics like “Diana,” “Lonely Boy,” and Frank Sinatra’s immortal anthem, “My Way.” Yet, for a man whose words defined love and resilience for generations, his life behind the velvet curtain was marked by a series of profound losses, personal betrayals, and a quiet struggle for peace that fame could never deliver.

At 84, the Canadian-Lebanese legend has achieved immense success, boasting an estimated net worth of over $80 million and a legacy spanning 70 years. But his true story is defined by the heartbreaks that forced him to keep writing: the early loss of his mother, the tragic end of two marriages, and a brutal, years-long international legal battle for custody of his only son, Ethan, a battle he fought and won with unwavering, quiet dignity.

The Anchor and the Wound: Losing His Mother Early

Paul Anka’s music career was fueled by a wound that began long before the applause. Born in 1941 to Lebanese immigrant parents in Ottawa, he was anchored by his mother, Chamilleia Anka, whose soft humming of old lullabies as she cooked was his first music school.

The silence came too soon. In 1961, when Paul was only 19, Chamilleia died at the age of 45. This devastating loss became the defining moment of his early life. He later confessed, “When my mother died, I lost my anchor, but I also found my reason to sing.” The immense, quiet pain of that silence became his compass, driving him to write songs like “Diana” and “Lonely Boy” that carried an undercurrent of melancholy—a whisper of her presence beneath every note.

The Failure of Love: Two Marriages and the Stolen Time

Fame, Anka often realized, was a thief disguised as a dream, stealing time and stability from his personal life.

Anne De Zogheb (1963–2000): Anka met the radiant Lebanese-French model Anne De Zogheb in Paris in 1962. Their marriage lasted 37 years and produced five daughters: Alexandra, Amanda, Alicia, Anthea, and Amelia. Their home was his “sanctuary,” but the endless demands of his career—performing up to 250 nights a year, writing on airplanes, and living on adrenaline—created a distance that proved fatal. He confessed, “I wasn’t unfaithful, just unavailable. Fame doesn’t cheat, but it steals time.” The couple divorced in 2000, not due to scandal, but exhaustion and the inevitable erosion of a shared life. Anne passed away in 2017.

Anna Åberg and the Battle for Ethan (2008–2010): A brief second marriage to Swedish model Anna Åberg, 30 years his junior, brought Paul a late-life miracle: his only son, Ethan, born in 2005. But the relationship quickly collapsed, ending the marriage in just two years. When Åberg returned to Sweden, Anka was gripped by the fear of losing his son forever. What followed was not a scandal, but a nearly decade-long legal siege fought across continents.

The Deepest Wound: The Custody Battle for Ethan

The bitter fight for Ethan’s custody became the most profound challenge of Anka’s later years, stripping away the legend and leaving only the father. He faced a strenuous court battle against his ex-wife, who reportedly claimed he was too old to raise a young boy.

Anka fought with unwavering determination, never missing a hearing despite his age and exhaustion. He described the courtroom as a place where he was “just a father trying not to lose his child.” In a rare verdict for a man in his 70s, Anka won sole custody of Ethan in 2017. His son’s presence became the “anchor” and his “encore,” the only song that mattered.

Today, Ethan lives with him full-time in his Los Angeles estate, where the gentle sound of his son’s voice is the most precious applause of all.

The Goodbyes That Shaped His Art

The legend of Paul Anka is also interwoven with the tragic goodbyes to his most influential contemporaries:

Buddy Holly: Anka was only 17 when his friend and contemporary, Buddy Holly, was killed in a 1959 plane crash. It was Anka who wrote the song “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” for Holly, who recorded it just weeks before his death. Anka was so devastated that he refused to keep the royalties, giving every penny to Holly’s widow, a quiet tribute to a friendship tragically cut short.
Frank Sinatra: Anka idolized Frank Sinatra, who became his mentor and friend. Anka famously wrote the English lyrics for the French melody “Comme d’habitude,” creating “My Way,” a defining anthem for Sinatra and the 20th century. Their friendship lasted over 40 years. When Sinatra passed away in 1998, Anka mourned deeply, losing not just a friend but “my reflection.” He continues to pay tribute by dedicating “My Way” to “Frank” during his performances.

Now, at 84, surrounded by gold records and his son, Paul Anka lives a quiet life of peace and dignity. He is a testament to the fact that the greatest music an artist composes is not what is played on the stage, but how they live their life, facing down tragedy and rising again, their way.