“He said, ‘you never wrote me that song.’” But I’m doing one more album,’” Anka remembers. “When (Sinatra) says ‘we’re going to dinner,’ you drop everything and you go to dinner,” recalls Anka, who as a budding Vegas headliner in the 1960s had a friendly tie with the Rat Pack.ĭuring the meal, Sinatra dropped a stunning surprise: He was about to quit showbiz. “It will be a night filled with his songs, my songs, my way.”Īnka still remembers the emotional story behind writing his timeless classic for Sinatra.Īnka didn’t think twice 50 years ago when Sinatra called him out of the blue and declared, “kid, we’re going to dinner.” “The ‘Anka Sings Sinatra’ tour will honor a great artist who has influenced me more than anyone else throughout my career,” Anka says of Sinatra. With the success these two musical titans shared, it stands to reason that Anka’s new national tour “Anka Sings Sinatra” - coming to The Smith Center on November 22 - pays tribute to top Sinatra tunes, while still showcasing Anka’s bevy of hits.

Of course, there are few music lovers today who aren’t familiar with the poignant ballad Anka eventually crafted for Sinatra, “My Way.” Some dub it the most powerful of Anka’s many earworms, which also include classics like “Puppy Love,” “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” and even Johnny Carson’s theme song for “The Tonight Show.” “He’d always tease me, ‘hey kid, when are you going to write me a song?’” Anka remembers. While singer-songwriter legend Paul Anka has left a long trail of hits over his 60-year career, he admits that early on, he was terrified to pen a tune for Frank Sinatra.

Sinatra the last curtain call song