What Happened to the Famous Singer Leslie Gore?

 

Source: flickr.com

Lesley Gore, the singer of 1960s classics such as "It's My Party," "Judy's Turn to Cry," and "You Don't Own Me," died on February 16, 2015 in a New York City hospital after a battle with cancer. Gore was 68 years old when she died.

Lesley Sue Goldstein, also known by her stage name Lesley Gore, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, and activist who was born on May 2, 1946. She recorded "It's My Party" that debuted at No. 1 on the charts and went on to sell over a million copies when she was 16 years old in 1963, and went on to have a string of other hits, including "You Don't Own Me" which became a feminist anthem and seven more Billboard top 40 hits.

Quincy Jones, a renowned music artist, spotted her when she was just 16 years old. With a stronger team behind her, Gore could not have started her music career any better. Her first single, "It's My Party (And I'll Cry If I Want To)," was produced by Quincy Jones and arranged by renowned Brill Building songwriter Ellie Greenwich. The song struck a chord with millions of adolescent girls around the United States, and it became an instant sensation.

On Adam West's 1960s "Batman" TV movie, Gore played Cat Woman's sidekick. For "Fame," Gore and her brother Michael Gore co-wrote the Academy Award-nominated album "Out Here on My Own." Lesley Gore is survived by her long-time partner, Lois Sasson, in addition to her mother and brother.


Early Career

Gore had a series of bubble-gum hits over the next two years while still in high school, including "She's a Fool," "That's the Way Boys Are," "Look of Love," "Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows," and "My Town, My Guy, and Me."

"You Don't Own Me," on the other hand, stood out as an unapologetic declaration that women are not things that men should own and manipulate. While the song was composed by John Madera and Dave White, a male song writing couple, Gore's strong singing and love for the lyrics encouraged teenage girls to not let boys drive them around. Only The Beatles world-changing smash "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was able to keep the album at No. 2 for weeks.

In the male-dominated record industry of 1960s America, Gore had to search far and wide for female mentors. Bella Abzug, a feminist lawyer and politician who became a close friend, was an inspiration to her. As Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, and Goldie Hawn performed "You Don't Own Me" for the 1996 sitcom The First Wives Club — a film about women seeking vengeance on their cheating, dishonest, and abusive ex-husbands — the anthem gained a new wave of fans.


Education

Gore continued to study music after high school, but she did not let her career get in the way of her studies. Gore studied literature and drama at Sarah Lawrence College.

Ever After, Gore's comeback album, was critically acclaimed and was included on the soundtracks of many films and television shows, including CSI and The L Word.

"She was a wonderful human being," Sasson told The Associated Press. "She was a wonderful human being — loving, giving, a great feminist, great woman, great human being, great humanitarian."


Written by - Anjali Gupta

Edited by - Gunika Manchanda