Lesley Sue Goldstein (May 2, 1946 - February 16, 2015), known professionally as Lesley Gore, was an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. In 1963, when she was 16 she recorded her version of "It's My Party" with Quincy Jones. It became a number-one, nationwide hit, selling over one million copies and was certified as a gold record.
"It's My Party" was followed by many other hits for Gore, including the sequel, "Judy's Turn To Cry" (US No. 5); "She's a Food" (US No. 5) and the feminist-themed million-selling "You Don't Own Me", which held at No. 2 for three weeks. The song's lyrics became an inspiration for women and were often cited in the second wave feminist movement. The New York Times stated that with her songs, Lesley Gore
made herself "the voice of teenage girls aggrieved by fickle
boyfriends, moving quickly from tearful self-pity to fierce
self-assertion."
After this she had more hits like "That's the Way Boys Are" (US No. 12); "Maybe I Know" (US No. 14/UK No. 20); "Look of Love" (US No. 27); and "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" (US No. 13), from the 1965 movie, Ski Party. In 1964 she featured in the T.A.M.I. Show performing six songs including "It's My Party", "You Don't Own Me", and "Judy's Turn to Cry". In 1965 she appeared in the beach party film The Girls on the Beach in which she performed three songs: "Leave Me Alone", "It's Gotta Be You", and "I Don't Want to Be a Loser". She also performed on two consecutive episodes of the Batman television series in which she guest-starred as Pussycat, one of Catwoman's minions. In the January 19 episode "That Darn Catwoman", she lip-synched to "California Nights", and in the January 25 episode "Scat! Darn Catwoman" she lip-synched to "Maybe Now".
In 1968 she signed a a contract with Mercury Records for five years, releasing a few singles but failed to make headway on the charts. In 1970, she signed with Crewe Records and in 1980, together with her brother, she composed songs for the soundtrack of the film Fame. She played concerts and appeared on television throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
In 2004, Gore hosted the television series In the Life, which focused on LGBT issues. In a 2005 interview she stated she had known she was a lesbian since she was 20 and that although the music
business was "totally homophobic," she never felt she had to pretend she
was straight.
She died of lung cancer on February 16, 2015 in New York City.
