# Paul Anka Wrote This Early Donny Osmond Hit About His Childhood Crush in 1960

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/paul-anka-wrote-this-early-donny-osmond-hit-about-his-childhood-crush-in-1960/
- Published: 2026-10-24T21:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-24T21:08:38+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/paul-anka-wrote-this-early-donny-osmond-hit-about-his-childhood-crush-in-1960/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Anka wrote “Puppy Love” about his teenage romance with Annette Funicello.
- Donny Osmond’s 1972 version was his second Top 5 single.
- A fan’s memories led Osmond to embrace performing it again.

## Summary

Donny Osmond’s 1972 recording of “Puppy Love” became one of his early major hits, though he later grew uncomfortable performing its youthful lyrics as an adult. A fan’s reminder that the song was part of her childhood memories changed his view: he came to see it as belonging to listeners as well as to him.

Paul Anka wrote and released “Puppy Love” in 1960 about his teenage romance with actress Annette Funicello; both were 17, and Funicello said their feelings were real despite their age. Osmond was 14 when his version appeared on *Portrait Of Donny*. It became his second Top 5 single, while the album also featured “Hey Girl”, a Top 10 hit; his next Billboard Hot 100 Top 5 came with “Soldier Of Love” in 1988.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.