Inside Iconic Crooner Paul Anka's Furious Rivalry With Michael Jackson Over 'Stolen' Recording

Paul Anka was involved in a bitter clash with Michael Jackson over a song they co-wrote in the early 1980s, and OK! has the inside story of the pair's rivalry.

Legendary singer Anka, 84, once admitted he was "beyond p-----" when Jackson allegedly "stole" the recording from Anka's home studio, igniting a feud that would linger for decades.

Anka first met Jackson and his family in the 1970s when they attended his Las Vegas shows.

"I got close to them," Anka said, recalling how Jackson wanted to appear on his 1983 album Walk a Fine Line. They collaborated on a song, and Anka sent the tapes to Los Angeles to record with the full band.

"They called me from there a couple of days later and said, 'Mr. Jackson stole the tapes,'" he continued.

Flabbergasted, Anka contacted the lawyers who represented both him and Jackson.

"I said, 'Guys, am I missing something? We've got a contract,'" he recalled.

Anka went on: "Well, Paul, you know he's got Thriller out and it's taking off. He just doesn't want anything else out there, blah blah. And we can't find the contract.' I said 'What? Okay, boys, I see who's more important. You're getting sued. I'm out of here.'"

The tapes were eventually returned to Anka, and he left the law firm.

He said: "Michael went on to be what Michael is, deservedly so as an artist. He was a great artist."

But the pair's rivalry resurfaced in 2009, shortly before Jackson's sudden death, when the posthumous release "This Is It" featured the song they had written together.

Anka quickly contacted his lawyers – the same duo from the original dispute.

He added: "I said, 'Hey guys, that's my song with Michael. We have a problem here, boys. This ain't going to fly; you've got about two, three hours to fix this.' It was very simple. I said, 'I want half of everything or it's not coming out.' And we got what we wanted."

Anka, whose songwriting career includes hits for Tom Jones and Frank Sinatra's iconic "My Way," said the episode taught him hard lessons about trust and contracts.

"You learn the business side fast," he said. "It's not always about talent – sometimes it's about who's managing it and how carefully you handle the paperwork."

Despite the dispute, Anka maintains respect for Jackson's talent.

"He was a great artist," he reiterated. "Nobody can take that away. But you have to protect your work, especially when someone else sees dollar signs before art."

Anka has been enjoying through a career renaissance, which kicked off when teens discovered his 1959 ballad, "Put Your Head on My Shoulder," and shared it on TikTok.

HBO Max has also released the documentary Paul Anka: His Way. Its title refers to how Anka bought the rights and then wrote English lyrics for a song he called "My Way" – which became a huge hit for Sinatra.

Anka was only 24 years old when he wrote the words.

Despite his lifelong immersion in show business, Anka now credits his longevity to careful health choices.

"I never became a drinker," he said. "I never became a smoker…I made up my mind that if I were going to continue to try and create… I gotta be in good health… and it's paid off."

He described a strict routine of ingesting olive oil and lemon juice while fasting and exercising – along with eliminating toxic people from his life – for his longevity.

"I'm in this passage where I don't want any people to put any stress in my life," he said. "Go away! Don't need you. That's the big killer."

But in an admission of his frailty, Anka also said in a recent chat he knows his "day is coming" for retirement.

He added about his desire to soon quit show business: "(To) all my buddies who are not singing well anymore. I say, 'Keep your dignity and stop short-changing the consumer and ride out a hero and a winner.'"