Does Paul Anka Have Kids? His Children and Family Explained

The Short Answer

Yes — Paul Anka has 6 children. His birthday is July 30, 1941, and he was born in Ottawa, Canada. The Canadian-American singer-songwriter scored 1950s hits like "Diana" and wrote the English lyrics to "My Way" for Frank Sinatra.

The question comes up constantly because Paul Anka keeps his personal life mostly out of the spotlight while staying highly visible professionally. Fans searching for his age or family usually want the quick version first: he has six children. On the relationship front, he has been married three times and is currently married to Lisa Pemberton. Below is the full verified picture — birth date and birthplace, children, partner history and what he is doing now — drawn from public records and reputable biographical sources.

The "does Paul Anka have kids" question usually comes from younger listeners discovering "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" on streaming and wondering about the man behind the oldies — a man with six kids, three marriages and a songwriting credit on "My Way".

Who Is Paul Anka?

Paul Albert Anka is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter and actor whose career has spanned nearly seven decades. He was a teenage idol in the late 1950s with hits including "Diana" — which he wrote at 15 and which sold millions — "You Are My Destiny", "Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" and "(You're) Having My Baby", his 1974 chart-topper. As a songwriter for others, his masterstroke was writing the English lyrics to "My Way" for Frank Sinatra, one of the most recorded songs in popular music history.

What makes Paul Anka's story stick is how long he has stayed relevant. He wrote "My Way" for Sinatra and the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Critics and fans alike point to his consistency: through lineup changes in the industry, shifts in public taste and the occasional controversy, Paul Anka has kept working at the highest level. That longevity is exactly why questions about his age and family keep surfacing — people who grew up with his work are now old enough to wonder about the life behind it.

Early Life and Birthday

Paul Albert Anka was born on July 30, 1941, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to Lebanese-Canadian parents. A musical prodigy, he was performing in Ottawa clubs as a young teenager and recorded "Diana" — written about a girl who wouldn't give him the time of day — at 15. The song's explosive success made him an overnight star and one of the first Canadian pop exports to conquer America.

His birthday, July 30, 1941, lands he under the Leo zodiac sign — a detail fans bring up every year when the milestone rolls around. At 85, Paul Anka belongs to a generation that came of age alongside the modern celebrity news cycle, which is part of why every birthday now arrives with a fresh round of retrospectives on his life and career.

Paul Anka's Children

Paul Anka has six children. Five daughters — Alexandra, Amelia, Anthea, Alicia and Amanda — were born during his first marriage to Anne de Zogheb. His son Ethan was born during his second marriage to Anna Åberg. Anka has spoken fondly of fatherhood in interviews, and several of his daughters have appeared with him publicly over the years.

Like many public figures, Paul Anka keeps his children largely out of the spotlight, sharing only occasional glimpses on social media or at public events. He has described parenthood in interviews as grounding — a counterweight to the demands of his career. The family details above reflect what has been publicly confirmed; Paul Anka has asked for privacy around the children's day-to-day lives, and reputable outlets have respected that line.

Marriages and Relationships

Paul Anka has been married three times. His first marriage, to former model Anne de Zogheb, lasted from 1963 to 2000 and produced his five daughters; de Zogheb died in 2017. His second marriage, to Anna Åberg, lasted from 2008 to 2010 and produced his son Ethan. In 2016 he married Lisa Pemberton, his current wife. The serial marriages have been tabloid-adjacent, but Anka has always framed family as his anchor.

Through it all, Paul Anka has managed to keep the relationship side of his life relatively dignified by celebrity standards — no tabloid circus, just the occasional confirmed milestone. He rarely discusses romance in depth, preferring to let the work speak, which is why each new development tends to make headlines when it does surface.

Career Highlights

Anka's second act as a songwriter and performer for the Vegas and standards crowd kept him working for decades after the teen-idol years. He wrote songs recorded by Tom Jones, Buddy Holly and others, composed the famous Tonight Show theme, and continued touring into his eighties. His business acumen — he owned his publishing early — made him one of the wealthiest songwriters of his era, and his autobiography My Way (2013) detailed a life spent at the center of show business.

What ties it together is work ethic. Colleagues consistently describe Paul Anka as disciplined and prepared — the kind of professional who shows up early and stays late. That reputation has kept he employed through eras that ended plenty of contemporaries' careers, and it is a big part of why his name still carries weight with both audiences and the industry.

Where Is Paul Anka Now?

At 85, Anka still performs, his voice remarkably preserved, and he remains a beloved figure with the Vegas and standards audience. He became a US citizen and has lived in California for decades. With six children and a catalog that includes some of the most enduring songs ever written, his place in pop history is secure — the teen idol who became Sinatra's lyricist.

At 85, Paul Anka shows no sign of slowing down. With the family life described above settled and the career still active, he remains one of the more durable figures in his field — the kind of star whose age surprises people precisely because the work never stopped long enough for anyone to notice the years passing.

Paul Anka: Key Life Timeline

July 30, 1941 — born in Ottawa, Canada. Paul Albert Anka was born on July 30, 1941, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to Lebanese-Canadian parents. A musical prodigy, he was performing in Ottawa clubs as a young teenager and recorded "Diana" — written about a girl who wouldn't give him the time of day — at 15. The Leo-born future star showed early signs of the drive that would define his career, and the upbringing described above shaped the work ethic that carried he through every later chapter.

The breakthrough. Paul Albert Anka is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter and actor whose career has spanned nearly seven decades. He was a teenage idol in the late 1950s with hits including "Diana" — which he wrote at 15 and which sold millions — "You Are My Destiny", "Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" and "(You're) Having My Baby", his 1974 chart-topper. As a songwriter for others, his masterstroke was writing the English lyrics to "My Way" for Frank Sinatra, one of the most recorded songs in popular music history.. That arrival changed everything: suddenly Paul Anka was not just working but leading, with the industry's attention and the public's affection arriving together.

The peak years. He wrote "My Way" for Sinatra and the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. During this stretch Paul Anka stacked achievements faster than most careers manage in a lifetime, and the question of his age started following he everywhere — a sign he had become a generational fixture.

Family life. Paul Anka has six children: five daughters (Alexandra, Amelia, Anthea, Alicia, Amanda) with his first wife, and a son, Ethan, with his second wife. Paul Anka has been married three times: to Anne de Zogheb (1963-2000), Anna Åberg (2008-2010) and Lisa Pemberton (married 2016). The family story — with its marriages, milestones and quiet moments — runs parallel to the fame, and fans follow both.

Today, at 85. At 85, Anka still performs, his voice remarkably preserved, and he remains a beloved figure with the Vegas and standards audience. He became a US citizen and has lived in California for decades. The years have added perspective without dulling the ambition, and Paul Anka remains a working, relevant figure rather than a nostalgia act.

Why the age question endures. The "does Paul Anka have kids" question usually comes from younger listeners discovering "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" on streaming and wondering about the man behind the oldies — a man with six kids, three marriages and a songwriting credit on "My Way". That is the real reason the searches never stop: Paul Anka is not just a birth date and a filmography but a timeline people lived alongside — and everybody wants to know where their own years went.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources