artist:  Paul Anka

songwriter:  Paul Anka

date released:  1958 by Paul Anka

Once upon a time, Canada's most beloved singer, songwriter, and actor, Paul Anka, was born in Ottawa in 1941.  His parents were immigrants from Lebanon who operated a successful restaurant in Ottawa.  As a teenager, Anka developed a talent for writing songs which appealed to teenagers.

Anka wrote "Diana" for an older babysitter of his.  He recorded the song in 1957, and it rose to Number One on the American and Canadian music charts and became one of the most successful hits in pop music history.

 In his lifetime, Anka has won numerous awards and honours. Many of his recordings have become platinum records. Anka was an inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1980 at the annual Juno Award Ceremony.  His most memorable award was the prestigious Order of Canada which he received in 2005.