The legendary singer-songwriter discusses his HBO film "Paul Anka: His Way," his song-writing legacy including writing "My Way" for Frank Sinatra, and his upcoming album.

Singer Paul Anka recounted the failures of Soviet Union-era communism, contrasting them with the freedom and abundance of America. The iconic entertainer appeared on Bill Maher's "Club Random" on Monday and described performing in Poland and Czechoslovakia during the Cold War: "We check in a hotel, one bathroom for the whole floor, no room service, and dark and bleak."

Maher slammed communism, saying, "It makes me so frustrated when I see so much sympathy for communism among kids today because they just are not taught history." 

"And just because we lived through it doesn’t really reach them because they’re entitled and they think they know everything."

Maher said Anka’s memories of shortages and life under Soviet-aligned governments underscored his broader critique of the system.

Anka said shortages in communist Poland and Czechoslovakia were so severe that he and his band gave away their clothes and left with empty suitcases.(Photo by William Lovelace/Daily Express/Getty Images) (William Lovelace/Daily Express/Getty Images)

BILL MAHER DEFENDS WESTERN CIVILIZATION ON ‘REAL TIME,’ CITING REMARKS FROM JD VANCE

Anka said he saw the conditions firsthand while touring Poland and Czechoslovakia, where he said basic goods were difficult to find.

"Bill, I’d come home in both countries, you’d see lines around the block in these little stores for toothpaste, for food, for a T-shirt," Anka said. "Everyone in my band and myself, we left everything we brought. I left my clothes, everything. My suitcases were empty in both countries. I just gave them away."

"We did try this. It is an evil, evil system that just doesn’t work," Maher said. "I don’t know what debate you were having around the bratwurst barrel there at 12:30 at night when you were 22 years old arguing for America, but, you know, my argument would be you’re standing in line for a potato."

Bill Maher criticized communism during a "Club Random" conversation with Paul Anka, saying younger generations are not taught enough about its history. (Noam Galai/Getty Images)

PAUL ANKA TELLS BILL MAHER CRIME HAS GONE 'THROUGH THE ROOF' IN CANADA AMID RECENT IMMIGRATION

Anka said his trip to Poland began after he met the country’s president on a flight and later received a call from the State Department asking whether he would perform there.

"It wasn’t like going to Vegas," Anka said. "It’s Poland we’re talking about."

Anka said his first impressions of the country were bleak, describing the hotel and lack of food options.

Paul Anka recalled performing in Poland during the Cold War and learning of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination while behind the Iron Curtain. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for the Songwriters of North America (SONA) Warrior Awards)

PAUL ANKA CONFIRMS LEGENDARY FRANK SINATRA RUMOR THAT MADE HOLLYWOOD BLUSH

"First of all, we check in a hotel, one bathroom for the whole floor, no room service, and dark and bleak," Anka said. "The only thing I had was vodka."

Anka said he later heard news of President John F. Kennedy's 1963 assassination while sitting near a radio carrying Radio Free Europe in Poland.

"I think Kennedy has just been killed," Anka said. "Sure enough, I started crying."

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Anka said he went on stage shortly afterward and told the crowd he was leaving Poland because of Kennedy’s death.

"I said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I’m going home. My president’s just been killed, but I will come back one day. I just have to go home,’" Anka said.

Anka said he later had a similar experience in Czechoslovakia, where he debated the United States and communism with a woman assigned to him by authorities.

"She said to me, ‘You know, they’re not all communists. There’s only a million of us,’" Anka said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

The woman later wrote him after the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia and asked him for help to get her daughter through school.

"She said, ‘Dear Mr. Anka, you were so right,’" Anka said. "I sent her the money. I put the kid through school."

CJ Womack is an associate editor at Fox News.

CJ joined Fox News Digital's team in 2026, which highlights the vital role journalism plays in shaping politics and culture. He has years of experience analyzing and reporting on the news media.

CJ graduated from Long Beach State University in 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Journalism. 

Story tips can be sent to cj.womack@fox.com, and you can follow on Twitter.

Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.

By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News 
        Privacy Policy
       and 
        Terms of Use
      , and
      agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can
      opt-out at any time.

Subscribed

You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!