Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Classic crooners are in short supply these days, especially ones who’ve been around since the very beginning, but Paul Anka is almost singlehandedly keeping the era alive at an astounding “81-years-young.”

In fact, he could’ve easily shaved off a couple decades off that number thanks to a remarkable performance at the Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana, which temporarily transformed into the golden age of Las Vegas, complete with eight marvelous musicians seated behind a bandstand bearing the headliner’s cursive logo.
 
Throughout a little more than 90 minutes, Anka certainly lived up to his reputation of selling 100 million albums and logging over 500 writing credits for the illustrious likes of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand and even Michael Jackson on down, in addition to the theme for Johnny Carson’s edition of “The Tonight Show.”

He got right down to business, busting out the enormous “Diana” as he entered from the back of the showroom, hugging, kissing and high-fiving several screaming and cellphone-waving fans of varying ages along the way.

One of Canada’s finest exports continued working his way around the upbeat “You Are My Destiny,” the bossa nova bounce of “Eso Beso (That Kiss),” along with the ballads “Put Your Head On My Shoulder,” “Puppy Love” and “Lonely Boy,” all from an unprecedented run on the Billboard charts that’s stretched seven consecutive decades, a feat unlikely to ever be duplicated.

He returned to the crowd by the disco beats of “She’s A Lady,” popularized by Tom Jones, settled down at the piano for “Do I Love You (Yes In Every Way),” redone somewhat recently as a duet with Dolly Parton, plus pulled out the acoustic guitar to salute Buddy Holly via “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore.”

Believe it or not, the octogenarian is still recording and this tour coincides with the release of the brand new “Sessions” album, featuring several beautifully arranged updates on his extensive songbook of standards.

Yet he saved the very best of them all for last, a spine-tingling take on “My Way,” which of course became the signature anthem for the “Chairman of the Board” and will literally live forever, regardless of who’s in charge.

Anka isn’t just iconic by association, but as legendary as it gets in his own regard, putting this relatively rare opportunity to actually see him sing it all straight into the rapidly expanding history books of the Hard Rock Live.

For additional information on Paul Anka, visit PaulAnka.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana include Mercyful Fate (Nov. 3); Tracy Morgan (Nov. 4); Aaron Lewis (Nov. 5); Yes (Nov. 11); Trinity Of Terror (Nov. 13); Grand Funk Railroad and Jefferson Starship (Dec. 2); Ne-Yo (Dec. 3); Eric Benét and Donell Jones (Dec. 10) and A Boy Band Christmas (Dec. 18). For additional details, visit HardRockCasinoNorthernIndiana.com.

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