Elvis Presley‘s death shocked the world. One of the most prominent singers of the 1950s was friends with Elvis and cried when he heard the news. The singer in question had a lot to say about Elvis’ later years.

A pop star warned Elvis Presley he was on the path to an early death

Paul Anka is a pop star who peaked in the 1950s with hits like “You Are My Destiny,” “Lonely Boy,” “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” and “Diana.” He also gave us the controversial 1970s hit “(You’re) Having My Baby.” In addition, Anka wrote songs for other people, penning Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” Tom Jones’ “She’s a Lady,” and Michael Jackson’s “Love Never Felt So Good.” In his 2013 book My Way: An Autobiography, Anka discussed his friendship with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

“I got to know Elvis pretty extensively when he first started coming to Vegas,” Anka wrote. “He would come over to Caesars Palace, see the show, come over and visit, sit backstage. Through that whole evolution, from when he hit town to when things started going bad for him and where he started losing control, I would sit with him and just try to tell him, ‘Man, you’ve got to get it together, you can’t live this twilight half-life. Get ahold of this situation or it’s going to pull you under.’”

Paul Anka explained the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s death

Anka had a lot to say about the tragedy of Elvis. “He destroyed himself,” he said. “Just went too far. He became another statistic. Life is about construction and destruction. It’s all in that balance, everything we see when we can look far enough. When you lose track of that, you self-destruct. And that’s what happened to my talented friend.”

“I was in Vegas, got up, turned on the news,” Anka added. “Elvis Presley — gone. I cried that day. He was a cool guy, a nice man, but was too young to go.” The “Can’t Help Falling in Love” singer‘s untimely death had become a huge part of his legend. It was an essential part of Baz Luhrmann’s film Elvis, which will likely serve as the official version of the King’s story for generations to come.

Elvis Presley later covered Paul Anka’s most popular composition

Anka’s connection to Elvis extended beyond their friendship. Elvis covered the most beloved composition of Anka’s career: “My Way.” The tender ballad is about looking back on your life and being proud that you were an individual, even if you have some regrets here and there. While the tune is most associated with Sinatra, Elvis’ voice sounds just as beautiful on the track.

Despite this, Sinatra was a better fit for the song than Elvis. Sinatra lived a long life, and he seemed to be in control of himself. The “All Shook Up” singer, however, battled with his self-destructive tendencies and died at the age of 42. On some level, Elvis’ “My Way” is more poignant because of the life he lived, but it’s also unsettling, if not disturbing. Anka accidentally captured the least flattering part of Elvis.

Anka cried when Elvis died and we are all feeling that loss decades later.