Paul Anka in Riverside

About Paul Anka

Paul Anka is basically the guy who proved you could be a teen idol and then just keep working for six decades. He hit big in the late 50s with "Diana" when he was literally a kid himself—wrote it at 15—and somehow that song became the template for every lovestruck pop single that followed. He didn't just sing though. Anka wrote constantly, churning out hits for himself and everyone else. "Having My Baby" in the 70s was unavoidable, one of those songs that defined an era whether you wanted it to or not. He built a career on being technically excellent, lyrically competent, and fundamentally uncool in a way that made him enduring rather than trendy. The guy worked Vegas, wrote themes for TV shows, collaborated with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Burt Bacharach, and somehow maintained relevance by just being consistently professional at what he did. Not flashy, not revolutionary, but reliable in a way that mattered before everything moved at internet speed.

Anka's crowds are usually older, nostalgic, there for the actual hits they grew up with. He delivers them reliably—tight band, solid pacing. The room settles in for a familiar journey rather than gets excited. He's a showman who respects his material.

Known for Diana, Put Your Head on My Shoulders, Lonely Boy, Having My Baby, You're Having My Baby

Paul Anka in Riverside News

• Sinatra, Anka and classic rock hit the stage Hometown News Volusia · Feb 13, 2026
• Paul Anka’s `Seven Decades Tour’ Stopping in Palm Desert Tuesday and Wednesday MyNewsLA.com · Jan 9, 2024
• Paul Anka Lists Los Angeles-Area Home With Recording Studio for $10 Million Mansion Global · Sep 8, 2023
• Get tickets to the best shows, concerts and comedians coming to the Treasure Coast in 2023 Treasure Coast News · Dec 20, 2022
• Paul Anka delivers McCallum benefit show his way The Desert Sun · Dec 3, 2015

Live Music in Riverside

Riverside's music scene has historically leaned country, rock, and hip-hop—venues like The Hangar and Fox Theatre cater to those crowds. Anka represents a different era entirely: pure pop songcraft from the 1950s-70s, when melody and actual composition mattered most. It's a curveball for the region, but not unwelcome.

Riverside road trip to see Paul Anka?

Stay in the Magnolia Center area near downtown Riverside, where restored historic buildings sit alongside new boutique hotels and wine bars—it's the only neighborhood that actually feels like somewhere worth spending an evening. Before the show, dinner at Duane's, a reliable California steakhouse with real cocktails and actual craft to the food. Spend your afternoon at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum or walking through the Mission Inn's sprawling Mission Revival campus—it's genuinely stunning architecture, the kind of thing that reminds you why people actually settled this part of California.