Paul Anka Was Furious With Michael Jackson Over Alleged 'Stolen Tapes'

Paul Anka revealed that he was "beyond pissed" with Michael Jackson over an incident that allegedly occurred in the early '80s.

In a recent interview with Page Six, the "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" crooner, 80, claimed that Jackson once stole a recording of a song they wrote together at Anka's home studio.

"I got close to them," he recalled of meeting Jackson and his family in the 1970s when they would attend Anka's shows in Las Vegas.

Anka shared that he and Jackson collaborated on a song together after the late singer expressed an interest in being on his 1983 album "Walk a Fine Line."

"I sent the tapes to Los Angeles for him to meet me there so we could put the rest of the band on. They called me from there a couple of days later and said, ‘Mr. Jackson stole the tapes," the Canadian singer said.

To make matters worse, Anka was allegedly told that Jackson had no plans to record the song. Anka said he immediately contacted his lawyers, who happened to also represent the "Billie Jean" singer.

"I said, 'Guys, am I missing something? We've got a contract,'" Anka recalled. "‘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 returned to him following that call, and Anka soon left the law firm.

Following the alleged incident, "Michael went on to be what Michael is, deservedly so as an artist. He was a great artist," Anka acknowledged.

Anka thought that the issue was over — until Jackson released the single "This Is It" in 2009, just before his sudden death. He recognized the song as the track they wrote together.

Anka said that Jackson "had copied the tape and put it in the drawer," so he paid a visit to the other singer's lawyers once more.

"I got ahold of the lawyers, who were the same two lawyers who screwed me in the beginning. 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,'" he continued. "It was very simple. I said, 'I want half of everything or it's not coming out.' And we got what we wanted."

Jackson's estate released a statement to the New York Times at the time, saying "The song was co-written by the legendary Paul Anka." The late singer's estate has not commented on Anka's latest comments.

Meanwhile, Anka has no plans to stop making and releasing music. According to him, he never liked the idea of retirement since he left home at 15 and started working.

"I don't even know what that means," he said of retirement. "I don’t set my life by numbers, it’s ridiculous. I don’t feel my age unless I’m sick. When I’m not sick, I couldn’t care less, I keep going forward. They throw dirt on you if you stand still. I’m in this for the long haul. I look at it in five-year increments. And if I’ve got my health, then do it."

Anka recently released a new album, "Making Memories," and he has an upcoming tour that will begin on Oct. 22.