Legendary Singer Paul Anka Returning to Sands

Paul Anka will return to Bethlehem for a performance at the Sands Event Center on Saturday, May 18 at 8pm.

Tickets range from $49.50 to $90 and go on sale at 10am Friday and can be purchased at sandseventcenter.com, the Event Center box office, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or by phone at 800-745-3000.

Anka, the legendary singer songwriter—and 1950s-era teen-idol—has made Bethlehem a regular visit ever since he sang at the grand opening celebration of the Sands Casino Resort Hotel in June 2011. He returned for the Event Center’s grand opening shows last May.

Anka is touring as a new 14-song collection—Duets—and an autobiography—My Way: An Autobiography—hits store shelves. Both were released on Tuesday.

As a young performer, Anka quickly separated himself from the pack of teen idols that surfaced in the mid-to-late 1950s. He did this by writing all his own hits (“Diana,” “You Are My Destiny,” “Lonely Boy,” “Put Your Head On My Shoulder,” “Puppy Love"), and taking control of his business career (producing, buying and owning his master recordings). 

He led his first vocal group at 13 (the Bobby Soxers), wrote his first songs at 14, and recorded his first commercial single in Los Angeles at 15 (the summer after 9^th grade).  He signed with ABC-Paramount at age 16 in 1957, igniting the pop firmament with all the hits that followed.

Anka wrote the all-time classic “My Way,” which has been recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Sid Vicious. Anka also penned  "She's A Lady" for Tom Jones and the instrumental theme song for The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. 

Duets presents collaborations with a “Who’s Who” of entertainment, Michael Buble, Leon Russell and Willie Nelson.