Paul Anka, 84, teases possible retirement after 70 years in show business

Paul Anka, 84, says that after 70 years in show business, he’ll know when it is time for him to retire.

The iconic “My Way” singer and songwriter reflected on his career in an interview with CBS News.

“When it's time for my body to say enough, I'll know,” he said on the outlet’s Sunday morning program. “I'm playing with the house's money now. I'm one lucky guy!”

For now, Anka has stayed busy with his latest album Inspirations of Life and Love, released Friday. The legendary ‘60s musician has also kicked off 2026 with a North American tour that goes until May 24.

He told People earlier this month, “I know what retirement is. I don't want to retire. He added: “Let’s say I do 75 days a year. I got the rest of the year to do what the hell I want. I get to write. I got my things. This is so much fun. If you can’t have fun in life or in a job that you’re doing, don’t do it.”

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The singer has been in the music business since he was just 10 years old, growing up in Ottawa, Canada.

“It was very difficult to go from a modest background in a small town, to everybody's all over you and you're famous and you're a celebrity,” Anka told CBS News.

Anka has stayed on Billboard ‘s Top 100 chart for nearly his entire career. He wrote Frank Sinatra’s classic “My Way,” along his own hit songs like “Diana” and “Lonely Boy.”

Rising to fame in the ‘50s and ‘60s, he performed with Rat Pack legends like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. He has recorded over 130 albums and worked with music icons including Michael Jackson, Connie Francis, Celine Dion and Patti LaBelle.

The singer spiked in popularity again in 2020, when singer Doja Cat used a sample of his song “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” in her song “Freak,” subsequently going viral on TikTok.

Although the singer is busy touring, he said that he makes sure to prioritize his family amid his busy schedule. Anka has a large family, including six children and nine grandkids — two from his daughter Amanda and son-in-law actor Jason Bateman.

Anka is also a single dad to his 20-year-old son Ethan after winning custody of him in 2017 after a legal battle with his ex-wife Anna Aberg.