LESLEY GORE
Lesley Gore’s first and most popular hit, 1963’s “It’s My Party,” remains her calling card today. Her voice became the quintessential sound for youthful longing, and she recorded several other hits throughout the 1960s, including “Look of Love,” “Maybe I Know” and “You Don’t Own Me.” Gore was later nominated for an Academy Award for “Out Here on My Own” for the film Fame.
Singer-songwriter Lesley Gore was born on May 2, 1946, in Brooklyn, New York. Gore grew up in nearby Tenafly, New Jersey. She was only 16 years old when she was discovered by legendary music producer, Quincy Jones. Though several versions of the story of their auspicious meeting exist -- one source says they met at a party while another claims that Jones saw Gore singing in a hotel -- Gore herself remembers that it happened through a string of lucky connections.
As Gore recalls, "The short story and the truth is that I was taking vocal lessons here in New York… One day, instead of my lesson, the piano player and I went into a studio… and we put down some demos,… Those demos got to Quincy Jones through an agent… He listened to them, he called me, and we started to record." I never knew this!
"It's My Party" soared to the top of the charts and hit No. 1 within weeks. In June 1963, Gore released her first album with Mercury, entitled I'll Cry If I Want To, reaching No. 24 on the U.S. albums chart.
Despite all the attention, Gore stayed in school and studied hard while continuing to nurture her music career. Her next single, "Judy's Turn to Cry," was a kind of sequel story to "It's My Party" and reached No. 5 on the charts.
Over the next two years, while she remained in high school, Gore released a string of bubble-gum hits like "She's a Fool," "That's the Way Boys Are," "Look of Love," "Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows" and "My Town, My Guy, and Me."
One song that stood out from the rest, however, was "You Don't Own Me," an unapologetic declaration that women are not objects that men can possess and control. Perhaps ironically, the song was actually written by male songwriting duo John Madera and Dave White, but Gore's powerful vocals and passion for the lyrics inspired teenage girls to not let boys push them around. The song held steady at No. 2 for weeks.
As Gore explained the record: "When I first heard that song at the age of 16 or 17, feminism wasn't quite a going proposition yet. Some people talked about it, but it wasn't in any kind of state at the time. My take on that song was: I'm 17, what a wonderful thing, to be able to stand up on a stage and shake your finger at people and sing you don't own me."
Gore had to look far and wide to find female mentors in the male-dominated record industry of 1960s America. One who inspired her was feminist lawyer and politician Bella Abzug, who became a close friend. When Bette Midler, Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn covered "You Don't Own Me" for the 1996 comedy, The First Wives Club -- a film about women taking revenge on their cheating, lying and manipulative ex-husbands -- the anthem found a new lease on life for a younger generation of fans.
Mostly content to drop out of the spotlight, Lesley Gore did not release an album or single between 1982 and 2005. Toward the end of this time, she began hosting episodes of a PBS documentary series called In the Life, focusing on gay and lesbian issues.
She officially came out to the public at large on the show, something she said her work on the show inspired her to do: "I met a lot of young people in the Midwest, and I saw what a difference a show like in the Life can make to their lives in some of these small towns where, you know, there are probably two gay people in the whole damn town."
In 2005, Gore released a comeback album, Ever Since, which was praised by critics and featured in the soundtracks to several movies and television shows, including CSI and The L Word.
Gore, who lives in her native New York City with her partner of 29 years and their dog, still occasionally tours and plays shows, always making sure to make her loyal fans happy with new performances of "It's My Party" and "You Don't Own Me."
Yes Miss Gore It was your party...and thanks for inviting us!
Until next time......... Flip that hair!!!
