One of Paul Anka’s most well-known songs, “Diana” was no accident. Per his 2013 book, “My Way,” Anka came up with this song for someone he knew. He was 15 years old when he first set his eyes on Diana Ayoub, a 19-year-old woman who went to the same church as him. He was attracted to her and decided to try his luck by approaching her and asking her out. Unfortunately, Ayoub wasn’t impressed and didn’t take much notice.

However, for Anka, she was a mystery, a source of joy. Anka wrote, “Diana was my inspiration, the fantasy girlfriend — and imagined problem.” Also, Anka knows that some stories have claimed that Ayoub was his babysitter, which was never the case. He has said that she may have been a babysitter to his siblings, but that wasn’t the case with him. Things never really moved forward between them but Anka couldn’t help but write a song about his crush anyway. As the singer admitted, “…that’s where songs come from: out of stories you tell yourself in your mind.”

Interestingly, “Diana” is reported to have been the inspiration behind Princess Diana‘s name. The Independent reports that Anka was told by a friend of the royal’s that Diana’s mother, Frances, was a fan of the song and named her daughter after it.

Paul Anka went through a difficult period in the late 1960s. In “My Way,” he describes wondering how he could reinvent himself as an artist. He wrote,”…after 13 years I was wondering if I could still find a new place for myself in the business. I knew I could survive performing my old hits — but what else was I going to do?” Anka had already realized that music tastes were evolving and artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin were starting to make their presence felt in the music scene.

The rise of the Beatles was something that made Paul Anka feel “intimidated.” He could see that younger musicians were getting a lot of attention and things were changing quickly. Anka said, “…these weren’t just cultural changes; we were looking at our own mortality as performers in terms of making a living in the industry.” Things were getting competitive and Anka had to figure out a way to stay relevant. To his credit, he created solutions and worked hard to keep himself going during the difficult times.

1961 was a particularly tough year for Paul Anka. According to the Globe and Mail, he lost his mom that year. She was only 37 at the time, and her death was attributed to complications related to diabetes. The singer said, “she was my ally. She made the difference.” He was referring to how supportive she’d been about his career choices.

As per “My Way,” Anka’s mom had been suffering for a long time. The singer writes that healthcare wasn’t as advanced in those times, and that she had severe complications from her condition. Anka also mentioned, “if my family was my core, my mother was the source of my strength — I got it all from her until the day I buried her.” Her funeral was attended by hundreds of people who showed up to pay their last respects. 

The singer revealed that losing his mother was heartbreaking for the family. His dad didn’t know how to deal with the loss and was by himself for a long time. After her death, it was Anka’s responsibility to support his siblings and help them finish their education.

Anka has said that he was grateful that his mom got to hear him play all his major hits at home, and revealed that he dedicated a song to her, “You Are My Destiny.” He attributed his success to her faith and wrote, “it was her faith in me that had driven me throughout my life.”

Paul Anka hasn’t been able to completely avoid controversies in his career. In the 1980s, the singer was secretly filmed lashing out at his band members for their performance and appearance, including them wearing t-shirts on stage. Anka’s rant was leaked and he could be heard using lines from the film, “Ocean’s 13.” Specifically, he paraphrases the dialogue uttered by Al Pacino’s character in the movie, saying “I slice like a f***ing hammer.”

When Anka was asked about the incident, he didn’t take to it kindly and said that the footage was shot by “a snake we later fired” (via VH1). One of the things he said in the recorded rant was, “I have a new philosophy. I don’t care if it’s Jesus Christ. I’m the only important one on that stage. If you don’t do it my way, then it’s the highway.”

According to the Shropshire Star, Paul Anka really values the fact that he’s able to write. When he was experiencing tough times as a musician during the rise of other popular names such as the Beatles, Anka worked extra hard on his songwriting skills and didn’t lose focus. He said, “the only thing that probably saved me was the fact that I started out as a writer, not a singer.”

Additionally, Anka considers himself an artist and believes that it is a timeless thing to have. He explained, “you have this feeling inside of you, you have an audience that is there to support you, you are continually active, so it is a very hard situation to walk away from.” This makes sense considering that Anka has felt a strong urge to write ever since he was in school. It has been a medium for him to express his thoughts on paper. As Anka said, “the part of my life…  the writer aspect, the creative aspect is what has been the core of my longevity.” Plus, as many would acknowledge, it was Anka’s songwriting skills and dedication to “My Way” that put the spotlight back on him and Frank Sinatra.