"The representative from New York City is Lesley Gore, now she sure looks pretty." (From ''Here They Come (From All Over the World),'' the theme song of the T.A.M.I. Show, a snapshot taken a lifetime ago.)
6
Every song of hers was my absolute favorite! And each one still takes me back to a particular day/place/event - her songs were that evocative. It was pop and it was light, but it was oh so good. Her Greatest Hits album inexplicably remained for decades in an honored place in my vinyl collection, to the horror of my friends, and then my wife. And guess which one had the most pops and hisses from being played to death! BDE, Lesley; you gave a lot of happiness to this Bronx boy.....
14
R.I.P. Jersey Girl.
7
I remember that the first time I saw her or heard her music was on that Batman episode referenced in the obituary. Oh, gosh, I so wanted to be her (especially because of Pink Pussycat's romance with Burt Ward--such a cutie!). So I fell in love with her music, and bought the album where she sang "California Nights." Even now it is on my iPod, and I'm 58. I love when I hear the other songs on the oldies channel, but California nights always brings me back to my childhood and pre-teens (watched Batman in re-runs), and that two-part episode where she sings "California Nights." It is a fond memory.
9
I turned 12 in 1963 and just spontaneously started listening to a tiny transistor radio turned low every night as I drifted off. Music suddenly mattered. Seventh grade, especially in the early '60's, was the dividing line between kid and teen, some kids in my class started dating (at 12!), and the social implications of someone wearing someone's ring were beyond huge. We were all so sweetly self-centered, figuring out where we stood in in our brave new teen world. Lesley was such a big part of my intro to that world. She captured the feeling of being a young teen better than anyone, and as the years rolled on those songs were still there to help us remember the beautiful drama of our young lives. Thank you so much Lesley.
14
Her amazing voice marked an era and my heart. What a wonderful woman and what a storyteller.
11
I loved all her songs when I was a young girl. Even now if one of her songs comes on the radio, I remember every word to every song! RIP MS. Gore
7
I am sad when a person who provided so much joy leaves us. Though in the case of a musician, I am happy knowing they left behind millions of fans and great sounds that will last forever.
I grew up blasting Leslie's sounds through a little transistor radio I was lucky enough to own. I loved my radio almost as much as my family's B&W 13' Motorola that allowed me to watch Ms. Gore's performances.
Never followed her career, though learning that she was happy with one partner for most of her adult life made me smile. Leslie deserved happiness after sharing so much love with her fans.
Thank you Leslie Gore for all the smiles.
I grew up blasting Leslie's sounds through a little transistor radio I was lucky enough to own. I loved my radio almost as much as my family's B&W 13' Motorola that allowed me to watch Ms. Gore's performances.
Never followed her career, though learning that she was happy with one partner for most of her adult life made me smile. Leslie deserved happiness after sharing so much love with her fans.
Thank you Leslie Gore for all the smiles.
15
Heartbreaking. She was one of my favorites.
12
This morning I found out that a good friend's dog, Larry, had to be put to sleep last night and that Lesley Gore had also died. It's a rough day - I loved Larry and Lesley represents such a huge part of my early teen years. I remember the Bergen Record newspaper reporting when Lesley Gore had the mumps. hearing California Nights on the car radio while my parents searched for a summer rental in Long Beach,NY and I stayed in the car, being a sullen 11 yr old (?) and let us not forget one of my personal favorites - the B side song "I'm Going Out the Same Way I Came In" which nobody ever references. Lesley Gore was simply great, intelligent (a Sarah Lawrence girl) and talented. Today is a sad day.
14
When I heard Lesley Gore died, part of my childhood died as well. RIP,Lesley. And thanks.
15
And I should add: While I never met Johnny, I hold him personally responsible for his role in ending what I call "The Golden age of the Guy." If he had treated Lesley better, the res of us guys who followed wouldn't have had to deal with issues like "You Don't Own me" and all.
Thanks a lot, Johnny...
Thanks a lot, Johnny...
4
Lesley Gore was a class act. She was a headliner at my high school rock show in 1966, along with The Young Rascals and several other popular groups. She stopped the show with her voice, and was all too willing to sign autographs for a long time. I'll never forget talking to her; she was just like a regular person, not the star she already was at age 19. Her greatest hits album has been in my top 10 for many years.
19
I've always been a fan of rock, especially heavy rock and played my share in my younger days but I always had a guilty pleasure in listening to Ms Gore. You Don't Own Me and Maybe I Know always got cranked up on the radio. I'll probably be drummed out of the heavy rock corp for this but I really liked her music.
Wherever you are Ms. Gore, keep singing and rockin'
Wherever you are Ms. Gore, keep singing and rockin'
17
In 1963, when Lesley Gore was just becoming a huge store, an article in a newsmagazine disclosed that she lived with her parents in Tenafly, N.J. I was in high school just north of the city. A friend thought it might fun to drive out to her house and say hello.
We looked up her address in the phone book and drove over the bridge. We found the house easily and knocked on the front door. A maid answered. We said we were fans and wanted to say hi to Lesley. We were told to wait and a couple of minutes later Mrs. Gore came to the door. We told her why we had come.
She invited us into the house and led us to the kitchen where she had set out milk and cookies on the table and invited us to dig in. She explained that Lesley was upstairs and would be down shortly.
Lesley appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later and joined us at the table. She was very lovely, much more so in person than in photos, sweet and charming. She asked us about where we went to school and what other music we listened to. After about 15 or 20 minutes she explained she had to get ready for an event, led us to the door, and shook our hands. She thanked us for being fans.
Apart from Lesley and her mother’s graciousness, what stands out in my memory is how easy it was to find their house and how absolutely normal they were. The mere idea of just dropping in on a singing sensation and being treated well seems like science fiction today. What a difference a half-century makes.
We looked up her address in the phone book and drove over the bridge. We found the house easily and knocked on the front door. A maid answered. We said we were fans and wanted to say hi to Lesley. We were told to wait and a couple of minutes later Mrs. Gore came to the door. We told her why we had come.
She invited us into the house and led us to the kitchen where she had set out milk and cookies on the table and invited us to dig in. She explained that Lesley was upstairs and would be down shortly.
Lesley appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later and joined us at the table. She was very lovely, much more so in person than in photos, sweet and charming. She asked us about where we went to school and what other music we listened to. After about 15 or 20 minutes she explained she had to get ready for an event, led us to the door, and shook our hands. She thanked us for being fans.
Apart from Lesley and her mother’s graciousness, what stands out in my memory is how easy it was to find their house and how absolutely normal they were. The mere idea of just dropping in on a singing sensation and being treated well seems like science fiction today. What a difference a half-century makes.
77
Right. I remember passing by her home in Tenafly and seeing the little wooden name sign planted in the middle of the lawn with "Gore" carved on it. How quaint that all seems now!
13
Thanks to my older sister, who always had the radio on, I have known and loved Leslie Gore's songs just about all my life. Some call them fluff, some call them over-produced, but to me they are just plain good and incredibly enduring. About 20 years ago, I was working in the World Financial Center and on a warm summer afternoon I stepped outside at lunch time. Leslie Gore was just starting a free concert in the World Trade Center Plaza. I heard her sing all her hits and didn't care that I was late getting back from lunch! It was so nice to read here that, although she peaked quite early, she seemed to be a sensible and grounded person who never let success or relative failure take control.
17
I'm surprised that Mr. Pareles neglected to mention the fact that Lesley Gore appeared on the final episode of The Donna Reed Show in 1966. She performed "It's My Party" and "We Know We're in Love." I was lucky enough to have met her on the set that week. She was sweet, talented and gutsy. Very sad that is gone at such a young age.
24
As it is said, getting old is not for sissies.
As each one of these icons passes, our hearts break a little more.
For who we were, for the lives we led. For our own family members and friends gone, for backyard barbeques and Phillies games on the radio, for exploring the woods behind the house (gone, too), for being terrified of the neighborhood bully, for Italian rum cake on every birthday, for the transistor radio playing under the pillow all night, for staying up until Dad got home and trying to figure out how drunk he was that night.
I remember and thank you Lesley for the music you gave, for the thread of your music (a life line then) that always brings me back to all that.
As each one of these icons passes, our hearts break a little more.
For who we were, for the lives we led. For our own family members and friends gone, for backyard barbeques and Phillies games on the radio, for exploring the woods behind the house (gone, too), for being terrified of the neighborhood bully, for Italian rum cake on every birthday, for the transistor radio playing under the pillow all night, for staying up until Dad got home and trying to figure out how drunk he was that night.
I remember and thank you Lesley for the music you gave, for the thread of your music (a life line then) that always brings me back to all that.
27
Dear RKPT,
What a beautiful post. You have made me cry but in the sweetest way possible. As one poster said above, it felt like his youth died when he learned this news. But no matter how old or feeble we Boomers & just pre-Boomers get, we'll always know we had the best music to grow up with! Rock on, Lesley Gore! You GO, girl!
What a beautiful post. You have made me cry but in the sweetest way possible. As one poster said above, it felt like his youth died when he learned this news. But no matter how old or feeble we Boomers & just pre-Boomers get, we'll always know we had the best music to grow up with! Rock on, Lesley Gore! You GO, girl!
9
It is driving me mad that nearly every one is mis-spelling her name. It's Lesley, not Leslie.
That being said, I too, am a great fan of this woman's music. Saw her in concert many years ago. Got an autograph, but more importantly, a kiss on the lips! Such a sweet person. She was so much more than her pop hits. I've collected "import" albums of hers that show her range. She will be missed as I have looked for upcoming events with her, but it is not to be. Condolences to her family. And will someone release her 1976 album Love Me By Name on CD?
That being said, I too, am a great fan of this woman's music. Saw her in concert many years ago. Got an autograph, but more importantly, a kiss on the lips! Such a sweet person. She was so much more than her pop hits. I've collected "import" albums of hers that show her range. She will be missed as I have looked for upcoming events with her, but it is not to be. Condolences to her family. And will someone release her 1976 album Love Me By Name on CD?
11
I liked her music and I remember vaguely when the It's My Party, although at age 9 or so I didn't really listen to music yet. Recently, someone I know who loved her Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows played it at a party. I didn't even remember that one, but it's very catchy too, if not as famous as It's My Party or Judy's Turn to Cry. I didn't know she was a local girl until he told me he had met her once. Well, good-bye, Ms. Gore and thanks for the songs. I imagine it must have been fun to be somewhere and here it played or people singing along.
5
Truly sad loss.
I was one of those '80s new waver-then-punk rock kids who loved everything '60s and raided my parents' record collections for the music of the era and my mother's closet (and thrift shops) for the vintage mini dresses and go-go boots that became my "uniform." And being both rebellious and a politically-minded musician, Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me" was one of my favorite '60s tunes (and remains so).
Its straight-up, tell-it-like-it-is message of women's empowerment was a beacon in the early 60s for young people at a time when the music scene and its messages in song were still mainly dominated and shaped by male perspectives and mores--particularly in mainstream pop music--but the song is a collaboration between men (the songwriters) and women (the singer) in the very best sense. "You Don't Own Me" was still pertinent in the '80s for the very same reasons...as it is today.
We--women and men--make progress in U.S. society in women's rights and choice, but there is still more to be made and we still fight tooth and nail to keep the progress that we HAVE made since the '60s (just as we fought in the late '80s when I came of age). When it came out I thought the 2012 PSA using "You Don't Own Me" and featuring Lesley Gore was absolutely brilliant. I hope it continues to be shown--upon every listening, the song still resonates just as strongly as ever and we still need that message to be heard loud and clear as much as it was needed in 1988 and 1964.
I was one of those '80s new waver-then-punk rock kids who loved everything '60s and raided my parents' record collections for the music of the era and my mother's closet (and thrift shops) for the vintage mini dresses and go-go boots that became my "uniform." And being both rebellious and a politically-minded musician, Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me" was one of my favorite '60s tunes (and remains so).
Its straight-up, tell-it-like-it-is message of women's empowerment was a beacon in the early 60s for young people at a time when the music scene and its messages in song were still mainly dominated and shaped by male perspectives and mores--particularly in mainstream pop music--but the song is a collaboration between men (the songwriters) and women (the singer) in the very best sense. "You Don't Own Me" was still pertinent in the '80s for the very same reasons...as it is today.
We--women and men--make progress in U.S. society in women's rights and choice, but there is still more to be made and we still fight tooth and nail to keep the progress that we HAVE made since the '60s (just as we fought in the late '80s when I came of age). When it came out I thought the 2012 PSA using "You Don't Own Me" and featuring Lesley Gore was absolutely brilliant. I hope it continues to be shown--upon every listening, the song still resonates just as strongly as ever and we still need that message to be heard loud and clear as much as it was needed in 1988 and 1964.
11
I always loved her music! It was well- arranged and full of emotion. I had never heard she was gay...but so many folks are, but to me she was a popular and a magnificent performer, period! May she rest in eternal peace. My condolences to her family and friends.
7
One of the most beautiful voices who gave us (the original Boomers) so many songs to remember in the '60s. "Judy's Turn to Cry" was a great followup to "It's My Party." Often overlooked, never forgotten.
10
We who grew up with her songs can find solace in the fact that they'll live on. R.I.P. , Lesley.
9
I'd like to hear Taylor Swift do, "You Don't Own Me." Or Katy Perry.
4
Ha. Id like to hear them without autotune. Lesley's voice was clear, beautiful, always on key, as was her enunciation. She is one of the few singers for whom i never had "misheard" lyrics. (Ella fitzgerald is another.)
20
I hope you meant this sarcastically!
I'd love to hear Queen Latifah do it - or Miley Cyrus - someone with a kick-axx voice & attitude to go with it. Or maybe Rihanna - as a personal anthem.
I'd love to hear Queen Latifah do it - or Miley Cyrus - someone with a kick-axx voice & attitude to go with it. Or maybe Rihanna - as a personal anthem.
2
I was eight years old when my Aunt, eighteen years my senior, leaned over and quietly instructed me to take her linen napkin over to a nearby table and ask for an autograph from a pretty young lady sitting there. The young lady smiled at me and graciously honored my whispered request. Returning to my family's table, I handed the autographed napkin to my Aunt and she put it in her purse and continued in the lively conversation without skipping a beat. The Fin And Claw restaurant in northern New Jersey was my family's favorite for celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and milestones. That day so long ago but so clear in my minds eye, we were celebrating my Aunt's birthday, and Leslie Gore, just on top of the charts with "It's My Party" and adored by my Aunt, had unknowingly helped me give my Aunt a birthday present she would treasure for years. Thank you, Leslie, for your kindness to a little girl. Rest in peace.
20
"Cool Web", a song from her hauntingly beautiful 2005 album "Ever Since" should be as much part of Lesley Gore's legacy as her 1960's hits.
4
Thanks (I think....) to my extraordinarily feisty mother, from whom I absorbed a certain way of blurting my feelings and desires in my communication, I never had too many negative boy/girl experiences as a young girl (except not being popular for those same reasons.....), but I too adopted "You Don't Own Me" as my hummable tune along with Lesley's others. It just seemed right for the moment, and I cannot overstate how absolutely transformative that period of time was for so many. I might have been more aware of general feminist issues in my own life, if I hadn't been so cossetted by becoming my mother's "mini-me" and by the zeitgeist of the times. I was lucky to be freewheelin' from the cradle on - very little self doubt; now, in retrospect, I took some chances which would have invited having my head examined if I hadn't been so self confident. I think the 1920s must have been like the 60s too, and maybe the Gay 90s?
6
I explained to my daughter that Lesley Gore and her songs were like the Taylor Swift of 50 years ago. But unlike Taylor Swift (or should I say the marketers who created the 'brand' Taylor Swift) Lesley Gore wasn't spending her free time taking selfies of herself and her BFF's in their underwear - but finished her degree at Sarah Lawrence. And unlike Miley Cyrus and a long list of current day TV child stars turned soft-porn stars by the parents and managers, Lesley Gore maintained style, class and REAL girl-power throughout her entire. What a class act!
31
Sorry, Lesley, not Leslie... My sister's name is Leslie (she was born in 1963, BTW).
4
And, yet, ironically, it is spelled along the line of Westley, who was, after all, the Dred Pirate Roberts before you were.
4
Introducing the Idea of the Oxy More Ironic
As in Nothing Can Be More Ironic
It is Oxy More Ironic that on the same weekend as the movie box office is burned down by 50 Shades of Grey, Leslie Gore has died. Leslie Gore, who famously sang "You don't own me!"
Talk about bookends to an era!
My condolences to Ms Gore and all who surrounded her.
My apologies for making her tribute political.
My deepest regrets to the passing of the "Women's Movement."
As in Nothing Can Be More Ironic
It is Oxy More Ironic that on the same weekend as the movie box office is burned down by 50 Shades of Grey, Leslie Gore has died. Leslie Gore, who famously sang "You don't own me!"
Talk about bookends to an era!
My condolences to Ms Gore and all who surrounded her.
My apologies for making her tribute political.
My deepest regrets to the passing of the "Women's Movement."
11
Yes.
Baruch Dayan HaEmet.
Baruch Dayan HaEmet.
2
Where can we find the lyrics to You Don't Own Me? I was never a music fan and do not remember the song at all. Maybe the lyrics will trigger something. For all the comments it must be an influential song that ought to be reprised.
4
Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDUjeR01wnU
and
You don't own me
I'm not just one of your many toys
You don't own me
Don't say I can't go with other boys
And don't tell me what to do
Don't tell me what to say
And please, when I go out with you
Don't put me on display 'cause
You don't own me
Don't try to change me in any way
You don't own me
Don't tie me down 'cause I'd never stay
I don't tell you what to say
I don't tell you what to do
So just let me be myself
That's all I ask of you
I'm young and I love to be young
I'm free and I love to be free
To live my life the way I want
To say and do whatever I please
And don't tell me what to do
Oh, don't tell me what to say
And please, when I go out with you
Don't put me on display
I don't tell you what to say
Oh, don't tell you what to do
So just let me be myself
That's all I ask of you
I'm young and I love to be young
I'm free and I love to be free
To live
(1964)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDUjeR01wnU
and
You don't own me
I'm not just one of your many toys
You don't own me
Don't say I can't go with other boys
And don't tell me what to do
Don't tell me what to say
And please, when I go out with you
Don't put me on display 'cause
You don't own me
Don't try to change me in any way
You don't own me
Don't tie me down 'cause I'd never stay
I don't tell you what to say
I don't tell you what to do
So just let me be myself
That's all I ask of you
I'm young and I love to be young
I'm free and I love to be free
To live my life the way I want
To say and do whatever I please
And don't tell me what to do
Oh, don't tell me what to say
And please, when I go out with you
Don't put me on display
I don't tell you what to say
Oh, don't tell you what to do
So just let me be myself
That's all I ask of you
I'm young and I love to be young
I'm free and I love to be free
To live
(1964)
19
just type it into your search engine and you will probably be taken to a video of her singing it...which I am going to do right this second.
I turned 12 in 1963 and remember and loved everything she did.
Every 'girl singer' today owes every girl singer from the 60s everything.
I turned 12 in 1963 and remember and loved everything she did.
Every 'girl singer' today owes every girl singer from the 60s everything.
1
Google: You Don't Own Me lyrics.
1
My first crush.
4
Blessings to you and your family, sad news. I just want to say that she gave me many years of singing happily in the car - they were all great songs. May she live on in our hearts and in song. Gone way too soon!
8
Fell in love with Ms. Gore when I saw her on Clay Cole's music show on local tv in NYC when I was very very young. She sang "It's My Party'" and I can still see her doing it in my head.
A sad day for music, but a life well lived.
Goodbye, Leslie. You'll always own a piece of me.
A sad day for music, but a life well lived.
Goodbye, Leslie. You'll always own a piece of me.
9
What a great singer she was! I remember being proud that she was Jewish and so succesful. She could really sing, and her songs resonated with teens at that time. Just compare them to the lurid songs of today's young women~
11
Leslie was a fellow camper at an upstate NY summer camp for boys and girls owned and run by my uncle Nat (of Original Celtics and CCNY fame). He ran it with his brother and my uncle Jack. The boys side was quite separate from the girls side of the camp but on occasional Sunday mornings there were co-ed talent shows. At one of these shows I first heard Leslie sing. I don't recall the songs she sang or her age exactly but likely she was 10 - 12 at the oldest. (Needless to say) she was the best singer that camp ever had back in those days! RIP Leslie Gore.
10
I was always impressed with the 'maturity' of her voice and the song 'You Don't Own Me' - recorded when she was only 18. She was a unique individual and I'm pleased to see that she lived life on her own terms.
13
Sad news for boomers like me and many others who loved Leslie Gore. It's remarkable how her songs became etched in our collective memory.
A commonly-used lettering machine of Leslie's era was the Croy. I remember working with an architectural office in which over the Croy machine were two signs, "It's My Party and I'll Croy if I want to," and "Now It's Judy's Turn to Croy."
A commonly-used lettering machine of Leslie's era was the Croy. I remember working with an architectural office in which over the Croy machine were two signs, "It's My Party and I'll Croy if I want to," and "Now It's Judy's Turn to Croy."
7
Lesley gore was my favorite singer growing up in the early 60s
I ran into her once at a medical lab where they draw your blood in manhattan on 78th and Madison about 20 years ago
she was friendly and just ordinary
it was hard for me to reconcile my teenage idol to the real person
her voice was larger than life
I ran into her once at a medical lab where they draw your blood in manhattan on 78th and Madison about 20 years ago
she was friendly and just ordinary
it was hard for me to reconcile my teenage idol to the real person
her voice was larger than life
9
My most sincere condolences to her family
Ms. Gore and her music were a vital staple to my sisters and her friends.
Many times I could here my mom humming her songs. What an effect!
She will be missed!
Ms. Gore and her music were a vital staple to my sisters and her friends.
Many times I could here my mom humming her songs. What an effect!
She will be missed!
7
With Leslie Gore's delivery and Quincy Jones's production, despite the banal lyrics, "It's My Party" still rocks! I love playing my drums with that song in my headphones.
Even at 18, you can see her professionalism as she did her medley in the movie the T.A.M.I. Show. That sense of craftsmanship informed her entire life.
One dissent: Ms. Gore’s string of hits ended not when girl-group pop gave way to psychedelia, but when the Beatles arrived with the other self contained bands that were writing and performing their own material. It wasn't just her that was swept away by the impact of the British Invasion.
Even at 18, you can see her professionalism as she did her medley in the movie the T.A.M.I. Show. That sense of craftsmanship informed her entire life.
One dissent: Ms. Gore’s string of hits ended not when girl-group pop gave way to psychedelia, but when the Beatles arrived with the other self contained bands that were writing and performing their own material. It wasn't just her that was swept away by the impact of the British Invasion.
12
I don't even want to get out of bed. This is like a kick in the stomach and a knife in the heart. She WAS us -- the high school girls of the 60s. She stood for us, she spoke for us. Losing her and Connie Francis ("Where the Boys Are") is like saying goodbye forever to those bittersweet years.
Devastating.
Devastating.
8
Kathy,
Connie Francis has not died!
Connie Francis has not died!
2
Hold on, Kathy in CT. Connie Francis is still very much with us. She was 76 in December... and still active.
2
Early last evening for an unknown reason I decided to find "You don't own me" on U-Tube. First I looked for April Smith and The Great Picture Show, because she did a sassy version of it for a TV ad, I think it was for the National Football League. But, then almost as quickly as I viewed that I was compelled to view the performances of Leslie Gore. I watched several and reminisced about the past, thinking of when I was in high school enjoying Leslie's great voice. I remembered dating and riding in my father's convertible listening to the wonderful music of the 1960s with Leslie's You Don't Own Me at the top of the list. I also looked up the version done in the 1996 movie "First Wives Club" and I enjoyed listening to that too. A true sign of greatness is when others perform your work.
Now, suddenly, this morning I see that Leslie Gore has passed away and I'm stunned. I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes and my heart broken. I wish I had seen one of her live performances. The baby boomer generation has lost a great gal. Leslie, we're going to miss you. Condolences to her family and friends.
Now, suddenly, this morning I see that Leslie Gore has passed away and I'm stunned. I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes and my heart broken. I wish I had seen one of her live performances. The baby boomer generation has lost a great gal. Leslie, we're going to miss you. Condolences to her family and friends.
12
I'll always remember this great lady.
http://bit.ly/1CDXL5z is my tribute
Shed not tears for your own loss, instead share a smile of remembrance.
http://bit.ly/1CDXL5z is my tribute
Shed not tears for your own loss, instead share a smile of remembrance.
10
I was a teenager at the time of Leslie Gore's teen years. I have not thought much lately about my teenage years and the impact that "You Don't Own Me" and "It's My Party" had on my development. Now I recall how that song impacted my sense of self; that sense of self worth and "defy all odds" and that "I can do this" and developing self reliance impacted my life. Her record inspired a self conscious teen and I believe was instrumental in the cause of the women's movement of my time.
12
It is impossible to say "It's my party..." It always comes out in song. In a flash, I'm eight years old, with my teenage cousins teaching me to dance in their Kingsbridge, Brooklyn bedroom with the linoleum floor and the floor-ceiling pole with baskets filled with 45s. Others were bopping to the Beatles but we were hooked on Lesley Gore.
I read that she said if she'd been tall and blonde with long hair, had she been Mary Travers, she'd have gotten along fine (referring to the shift away from pop and towards folk in the 60s). When Mary died, she took a piece of my heart with her. And Lesley has taken another piece. Their music lives in my head, and I am grateful for that.
I read that she said if she'd been tall and blonde with long hair, had she been Mary Travers, she'd have gotten along fine (referring to the shift away from pop and towards folk in the 60s). When Mary died, she took a piece of my heart with her. And Lesley has taken another piece. Their music lives in my head, and I am grateful for that.
17
In September of 1966 Leslie Gore came to Letterman Army Hospital in San Francisco where I was a patient. She sang for everyone in the hospital theater, and then came up to my ward to sing and provide records which she signed. She was the first "famous" person I ever talked to. Tony Bennett visited later in October, and I bet you can guess which song he sang.
9
One song that hasn't been widely mentioned is "California Nights," one of the sexiest (no other word will do) songs of the Sixties. A beautiful melody, smooth and silky vocals, marred only by the ham-fisted drumming insisted on by producer Bob Crewe; if Qunicy Jones had handled the production, the single would even have been better.
I saw her perform about ten years ago; she did the usual hits (but no "California Nights") and sang several of her own songs. She may have had a bad night, given that she left the stage quickly, with no encore. No matter. That warm voice was still intact.
Sympathy for her and hers is expressed, and several songs she recorded have, as is said, legs. R.I.P.
I saw her perform about ten years ago; she did the usual hits (but no "California Nights") and sang several of her own songs. She may have had a bad night, given that she left the stage quickly, with no encore. No matter. That warm voice was still intact.
Sympathy for her and hers is expressed, and several songs she recorded have, as is said, legs. R.I.P.
7
Lesley Gore was a wonderful singer. She didn't caterwaul and sink into melisma like these "singers" today.
15
Sadly, Susan, you sound just like our parents' take on our music, including Lesley Gore's "caterwauling". Like any era, there are talented and untalented performers. Adele, Alabama Shakes, She of He and She and, yes, Lady Ga-Ga are among those ladies with the real thing. Gore certainly influenced my favorite singer since 1985, critic's darling Aimee Mann. And if Gore's legacy, among others, does not inform Taylor Swift's new album, no one does.
2
The first three notes on the piano, in the minor key, were a warning: "things have changed. I'm not who you want me to be. I have the final say in the terms of engagement." From the mouth of teens...a great song by a young voice already missed.
11
Ms. Gore's "You Don't Own Me" has been in my head since I was a kid. I hummed it when I was bullied, sang it (silently) whenever a boss or any "superior" attempted to make me feel inferior, and belted it as it played from my car's cassette player when I finally drove away from an abusive relationship. I was always too embarrassed to admit to anyone that a pop song was a source of inspiration, independence, and strength but I would like to believe that I was not alone and Ms. Gore was aware of the impact.
When I left the tempestuous climate of the South in the late sixties and moved, alone, to the Bay Area it was her song "California Nights", not the Beach Boy's "California Girls", that I sang repeatedly on the long drive.
Ms. Gore's voice and her songs were and continue to be a comfort, a joy and will always be a big part of the soundtrack of my life. Her passing makes me very sad, however, I am very grateful for the gift of her music that will remain.
My sincere condolences to her partner, mother, brother and her friends.
When I left the tempestuous climate of the South in the late sixties and moved, alone, to the Bay Area it was her song "California Nights", not the Beach Boy's "California Girls", that I sang repeatedly on the long drive.
Ms. Gore's voice and her songs were and continue to be a comfort, a joy and will always be a big part of the soundtrack of my life. Her passing makes me very sad, however, I am very grateful for the gift of her music that will remain.
My sincere condolences to her partner, mother, brother and her friends.
72
Vale Leslie Gore. I remember her songs well. They gave me much joy in my teenage years here in Australia. She will be missed greatly but the memory of a wonderful and talented person will live on. I would like to pass on my condolences to her family and friends.
17
My best friend, Rickey Smith, and I had a summer backyard party at her house when "Judy's Turn to Cry" was popular. I had just broken up with my boyfriend, who we stupidly invited to the party, and he brought another girl to OUR party! Needless to say, his nerve and that song playing over and over ruined the party for me. Every time I've heard it over the years, I've been transported back to that miserable evening. Ah, the power of young love!
20
Ms. Gore's eloquent, poignant song "You Don't Own Me" showed remarkable maturity and elegance for such a young individual. It is even more rewarding to learn (or for the fortunate to remember) just how much she continued to do after her days of greatest fame had passed. She also showed no small courage in her personal life. Here's hoping, if possible, her memoir can be released. A lot of her fans and admirers would love to read even an incomplete version. RIP.
18
February 19, 1963 – The publication of Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" launches the reawakening of the Women's Movement in the United States as women's organizations and consciousness-raising groups spread.
December, 1963 - Leslie Gore's "You Don't Own Me" released.
Coincidence?
December, 1963 - Leslie Gore's "You Don't Own Me" released.
Coincidence?
10
"Play all my records, keep dancing all night..."
Indeed, now and forever, gorgeous Ms Gore!
Indeed, now and forever, gorgeous Ms Gore!
15
Lesley Gore was also the teenage voice of happiness. As a kid during her early years, we moved constantly as my dad made his way up the ladder. The infectious energy of her music made it easy to bond--it was nearly impossible for anyone not to sing along with Lesley. That shared experience started a lot of great friendships, on schoolyards, at parties and in new neighborhoods.
No matter what she was singing about, you couldn't help but turn up the radio. And the same is true today--when her voice comes on, my volume control goes up.
Thank you, Lesley, for giving my life a wonderful soundtrack. My sincerest condolences to your partner and you loved ones.
It’s going to be a huge day over at iTunes.
No matter what she was singing about, you couldn't help but turn up the radio. And the same is true today--when her voice comes on, my volume control goes up.
Thank you, Lesley, for giving my life a wonderful soundtrack. My sincerest condolences to your partner and you loved ones.
It’s going to be a huge day over at iTunes.
20
Lesley won my heart over when I was 13 years old with "It's My Party". Through the years, I can't remember any song she ever released I didn't like. Lots of ex broadcasters will also thank Lesley too for that odd "shortest song" "Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows"...less than 2 minutes long, just short enough to fill that gap to take us into those top of the hour newscasts. You'd have to have been in radio to fully understand that one. Rest In Peace Lesley. Your music will live on.
19
I've been able to sing Leslie Gore's hits by heart, ever since I
was a kid in Brooklyn. I guess her songs just got in my head by
osmosis and have been rattling around ever since. I'm singing
'Its My Party' right now. And I thought I knew 'You Don't Own
Me', but I find that I'm happily mumbling through a few parts.
Weird, but it still feels like I know the whole song anyway. Her
songs became part of my life, and I'm smiling as I remember
how that came to be.
Back in the early sixties, the radio on top of the 'fidgerater' was
always on, all day long, locked on WABC. They played all the hits.
"Movin' and a groovin', havin' a ball, with Cousin Bruce."
Endless pop hits, endlessly playing. Always in the background.
Leslie Gore, RIP.
was a kid in Brooklyn. I guess her songs just got in my head by
osmosis and have been rattling around ever since. I'm singing
'Its My Party' right now. And I thought I knew 'You Don't Own
Me', but I find that I'm happily mumbling through a few parts.
Weird, but it still feels like I know the whole song anyway. Her
songs became part of my life, and I'm smiling as I remember
how that came to be.
Back in the early sixties, the radio on top of the 'fidgerater' was
always on, all day long, locked on WABC. They played all the hits.
"Movin' and a groovin', havin' a ball, with Cousin Bruce."
Endless pop hits, endlessly playing. Always in the background.
Leslie Gore, RIP.
14
Feminist touchstones are fine and well (N.B. I am * not * being facetious: they really * are * fine and well.) -- but there is also something to be said for uncomplicatedly delectable musical confections like "Look of Love" -- and for the consummate pop patissier who supplied so much of their sweetness.
I will miss her very much.
I will miss her very much.
8
Unless you lived in 1964, you cannot imagine what a radical song You Don't Own Me was for the time.
62
Of all of Lesley Gore's "hits", that is still my favorite.
6
On Sunday night, my husband and I were playing some of Lesley Gore's songs and dancing around like silly teenagers. We both loved her music and her amazing voice back in the sixties. Although we didn't meet until we were in our early thirties, it was something we already shared. We wondered what she's been up to lately and I said I would find out. What a terrible shock to learn today that she died the day after we had been reminiscing so fondly of her. The sound of her singing would always transport me back to a time when my hometown was still vibrant, when riding around with friends in a VW was not wasting gas, and singing along with Leslie Gore on the car radio was the height of adolescent joy.
I am so sad to learn that Lesley Gore is gone, and gone too soon. She certainly enhanced my early teenage years with her remarkable talent and I still appreciate her music to this day.
She co-wrote "Out Here on my Own" with her brother, Michael. Listen to a sample of Irene Carras singing it on the soundtrack to "Fame" on iTunes. I just purchased it. It's gorgeous.
I am so sad to learn that Lesley Gore is gone, and gone too soon. She certainly enhanced my early teenage years with her remarkable talent and I still appreciate her music to this day.
She co-wrote "Out Here on my Own" with her brother, Michael. Listen to a sample of Irene Carras singing it on the soundtrack to "Fame" on iTunes. I just purchased it. It's gorgeous.
20
Irene Cara, not Carras. Sorry.
1
You Don't Own Me was on my 45 record player when I was seven years old. Knew it by heart. Sang it over and over. My lifelong anthem. You. Don't. Own. Me. Btw my life has been and remains great! Miss you, Lesley grrl.
12
What a sweet and intelligent lady.
Such a talent!
So beautiful too---loved her in those cute outfits on "Batman".
Condolences to her family.
We will miss you Lesley!
Such a talent!
So beautiful too---loved her in those cute outfits on "Batman".
Condolences to her family.
We will miss you Lesley!
7
Never realized she was gay, and who cares. She was a part of rock 'n roll history. Had a memorable voice and message. Refreshing! RIP.
16
Thank you for your songs and your spirit, Ms Gore. Thank you to your partner and family for sharing you with all of us.
11
Lesley Gore did own me when she sang.
16
She is the soundtrack of my teen years, as she is for so many of us.
thank you Lesley, for countless hours of joy, because listening to you was a thoroughly 100% fabulous experience. And, thank you too, for this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMxtbAP2cyU
The world was a better place with you in it.
thank you Lesley, for countless hours of joy, because listening to you was a thoroughly 100% fabulous experience. And, thank you too, for this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMxtbAP2cyU
The world was a better place with you in it.
11
Lesley Gore's music was as much a part of my youth as it was for the other folks commenting here.
Thanks for providing the link to the clip from the movie FAME of Irene Cara singing the Gore siblings' tune "Out Here on My Own." I haven't seen the movie since it first came out, and I'd forgotten what a great song it is and how riveting Cara's rendition is.
I lived a few blocks from PS 122 on First Avenue when FAME was being filmed, and some of the exteriors were shot there.
Watching the clip bought me to tears -- for my youth and that of the kids who performed in the film and of a generation now in its last few chapters -- as inevitable as the end of a beautiful ballad....
5
Dear Ms. Sasson,
So sorry for your loss.
For so many of us it's like a light went out--for you more than most, I can only imagine. What a brilliant, passionate, artist Lesley is/was.
So glad we had her when we did.
So sorry for your loss.
For so many of us it's like a light went out--for you more than most, I can only imagine. What a brilliant, passionate, artist Lesley is/was.
So glad we had her when we did.
14
This is sad news indeed. My condolences to her partner and her mother. I wondered through Youtube to hear her belt out "You Don't Own Me" once more. As young girls, singing along was absolute pleasure, even if you couldn't yet say that in real Life. Popping up on the side bar, a clip from the First Wives' Club of three very famous actrices belting it out. Although Ms. Gore didn't write the song, it is clear to me that her feisty delivery inspired Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn and, Bette Midler to put the song over as their personal national anthem of freedom. As for Its My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To, I have heard the title muttered in a variety of situations where somebody's dream didn't come true, and everyone has been there. The songs were cute, but the message was Lesley's. God bless her, gone too soon.
32
WOW, when my son told me this afternoon she had died I was sad for a bit. I was13 and her songs I listened to especially Its my party .. That was a part of my young teen yrs. I never heard anything of the later years.. The young carefree time in my life was connected with her songs. Rest in peace.
9
The 2012 campaign spot using her song, "You Don't Own Me", for which she gave the rights and in which she participated was the best political ad I have ever seen. Moving. Effective. ACCURATE! Spot on! Every time I saw it, it moved me to watery eyes.
Ms. Gore was a talented trailblazer and, obviously, a good and decent person in a tough, merciless business. Thank you to her for the many years of great listening. Heartfelt condolences to Ms. Sasson and to Ms. Gore's mother, brother and all of her family and loved ones.
Ms. Gore was a talented trailblazer and, obviously, a good and decent person in a tough, merciless business. Thank you to her for the many years of great listening. Heartfelt condolences to Ms. Sasson and to Ms. Gore's mother, brother and all of her family and loved ones.
14
She was very talented, in spite of the 'teen queen' image she had early on. If you watch the TAMI show, you see an impossibly cute, petite girl with a huge voice. In 'You don't own me' she sings in three octaves effortlessly.
9
Leslie Gore spun much faster than forty-five revolutions per minute, and the culture couldn't quite keep up. That says something about her.
12
Ms. Gore was actually, in effect, the headliner at the T.A.M.I Show. The kids at Santa Monica Civic screamed throughout the entire roster of young and old, black and white music stars, but responded most enthusiastically for Lesley Gore - among all the other pop luminaries performing. Her performance of "It's My Party" and "Judy's Turn To Cry" were fine there, but listen to "Hey Now" - her work with the complex rhythm backing of that standout song was right on the edge of pop's future. Ms. Gore was a fine musician with great instincts and who, along with Martha Reeves and other contemporaries, cut the cloth for many to come.
I may forget which part of my family ended up here or there but this wonderful singer has owned a chunk of my brain for a very long time. The epic combination of youth, energy, and independence stuck to our hearts - perhaps because he declaration struck so closely to what we considered being an American back then. We knew it, lived it, and stood for it.
10
Farewell, Leslie. We loved you.
12
20 years ago, while playing a team trivia competition at a local bar, I gave the winning answer that night to the question: what was the reply song to "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to?. Victory!!! RIP Ms. Gore. Pop is fun and silly and allows one to laugh a lot. Thanks.
A. "It's Judy's turn to cry," but you all knew that. But in that Leadville, Colo. bar all those nights ago I was the only one. A sweet silly memory that just returned.
A. "It's Judy's turn to cry," but you all knew that. But in that Leadville, Colo. bar all those nights ago I was the only one. A sweet silly memory that just returned.
11
Just good music that keeps memories and our youth alive.
6
The baby-boomer generation is in mourning tonite RIP Lesley Gore...and thanks for the memories.....
10
Now its our turn to cry. She was great!
21
Just Sad,
68 seemed very old when I was young, but now it seems still young.
Great performer, great person.
68 seemed very old when I was young, but now it seems still young.
Great performer, great person.
16
Something about this music lifted us up. I hope she knew.
13
Lesley was huge! It seems a great shame to me that her singing career fizzled out so quickly. But it's a testament to her great talent that 50 years after her last hit record she's still one of the best remembered and loved singers of the 60's. I feel very sad for her and her partner Lois. She died too young.
6
Shocked and sad. She had a wonderful voice and interpretative style. Her songs speak to me as much now as in the 60's. She had an early great album of standards entitled "Cry." That's what I feel like doing tonight.
7
Lesley Gore was the first music star in my life; I was 12 and cheap transistor radios had just arrived. There was only one place to park that dial - "WLS, Personality, in Chicago!" I bought every album she made, up to and including "Someplace Else Now" and "Love Me By Name," full of songs she wrote. (One correction: she started writing with her brother Michael while she was still with Mercury Records and going to Sarah Lawrence. Her middle albums always had one or two of their songs; often those were "B" sides on her singles.)
I saw her in concert, opening for Johnny Carson at the Medinah Temple; I saw her onstage, co-starring in a frothy comedy with Bill Bixby. And of course I saw her on TV and in the movies. In "The T.A.M.I. Show" she was billed above Smokey Robinson, The Supremes and the Rolling Stones.
She was never a superstar, but had a fantastic career and did everything she wanted. She lived with integrity, came out as Gay and hosted "In the Life," the first national LGBT magazine show on public television. But I think what I admire most about her was her decision, at the height of her career, to step back and go to college. It may have killed her chance to keep riding the wave of high school success and cranking out teenage hits; but it made her an adult songwriter with an honest and personal voice, more respected by her peers than ever. Any whiz kid can have a hit at 16; Lesley Gore was prepping a Broadway show at 68. We didn't Own You, honey; You Owned Us.
I saw her in concert, opening for Johnny Carson at the Medinah Temple; I saw her onstage, co-starring in a frothy comedy with Bill Bixby. And of course I saw her on TV and in the movies. In "The T.A.M.I. Show" she was billed above Smokey Robinson, The Supremes and the Rolling Stones.
She was never a superstar, but had a fantastic career and did everything she wanted. She lived with integrity, came out as Gay and hosted "In the Life," the first national LGBT magazine show on public television. But I think what I admire most about her was her decision, at the height of her career, to step back and go to college. It may have killed her chance to keep riding the wave of high school success and cranking out teenage hits; but it made her an adult songwriter with an honest and personal voice, more respected by her peers than ever. Any whiz kid can have a hit at 16; Lesley Gore was prepping a Broadway show at 68. We didn't Own You, honey; You Owned Us.
21
'You Don't Own Me' blew me away at 13 & still blows me away today. Thank you, Leslie Gore.
6
Sorry she had to die relatively young, but Gore was the reductio ad absurdum of the sheer vapidity of pop music.
1
Wow, Latin and a big word too.
4
"Gore was the reductio ad absurdum of the sheer vapidity of pop music."
You might, Fred White, want to save your snark and lack of class -- do you always disgorge your bile at the wrong times? -- for your friends.
You might, Fred White, want to save your snark and lack of class -- do you always disgorge your bile at the wrong times? -- for your friends.
6
We were contemporaries. Teens at the same time. I heard her songs as a soundtrack in part of my own life. Hers was a voice that made you sit up and take notice. She was sweet and brash at the same time. She was what so many girls were becoming: unafraid to be assertive. Thank goodness for this affectation. It was at the heart of feminism and the belief that a woman could be whatever she wanted to be. These feelings expressed with that remarkable sound of her voice and that back-up band made boys like me have bigger dreams about women. Thanks Leslie. You were a sensation.
27
Aretha, Janis, Diana, Joan, Judy, Tina, Dionne ... others of her decade had more staying power career-wise, perhaps because Lesley's voice was for a younger and more innocent crowd than the rest of them singing in a decade of cultural and political turbulence. But Lesley's voice was great and gritty and unforgettable. May she rest in peace and be remembered forever.
28
I was born in 1952, six years after Lesley Gore. She seemed so grown up then to me. Her records meant so much to my teenage years. My burgeoning gay teen-self loved her campy appearance in the 1965 movie Ski Party with Frankie Avalon when she sang "Sunshine, Lollipop and Rainbows." I loved that her hair had so much hairspray on it that it could not move when she lip-synched that song! In 2003 as part of the Legendary Ladies of Rock & Roll revue, I saw her perform in Las Vegas and was thrilled to meet her in person getting an autographed photo. She took time time to meet every fan. Later I was proud to learn when she announced she had a longtime lesbian partner. She left us too soon. It was indeed YOUR party, Lesley.
16
I remember those songs -- she was only two years older than I. Didn't realize she had come out, but athough I'm not gay I really appreciate the art and power of the series "In the Life," so I'll watch for her contributions.
Hers was a powerful voice in more ways than one, and when, as a teenager and after, when I heard her on the radio, I paid attention.
Bless her and those who were close to her in their loss.
Hers was a powerful voice in more ways than one, and when, as a teenager and after, when I heard her on the radio, I paid attention.
Bless her and those who were close to her in their loss.
7
When I was 14 I went to Roosevelt Field to see her at a guest appearance at a record store -- I waited for hours to catch a glimpse. In those days, I sang "It's My Party" all the time, rejoiced when "Judy" got her comeuppance, and I wanted to BE Lesley Gore. I can't believe she's gone....another reminder of childhood dreams passes from the scene. RIP, Ms. Gore.
23
In the early sixties we all waited for her new 45s to come out and saved the one buck for the next one. Her music is part of the hear and soul of a generation. So sad that she is gone.
7
Effectively, she did not want us to know who she was... the teen voice of heartbreak...
You don't own me - meant what she was...
A woman no man owns...
You don't own me - meant what she was...
A woman no man owns...
3
So incredibly sad to hear about Lesley Gore's passing. Her songs played a major role in our (mostly self-inflicted) teen angst. Was thrilled when she re-appeared to become a key motivator in the 2012 elections. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMxtbAP2cyU
4
I was born in 1970, and don't remember her music like people would closer to her era. But the sentiment of "You Don't Own Me" is time less in its sound, delivery, and mood. It has always struck a cord deep in me. thank you for having given women such a strong and beautiful voice for their free will. Rest well.
3
"She's A Fool" was part of a three-song sequence; 'It's My Party" where Judy steals her boyfriend away; "She's A Fool" where Lesley sees Judy treating Johnny badly and realizes that there is hope and then; "Judy's Turn To Cry" because Johnny's come back to her.
I had hoped that maybe Gore wrote "You Don't Own Me". Why don't you tell us who did? They deserve a lot of credit too, for those great lyrics.
I had hoped that maybe Gore wrote "You Don't Own Me". Why don't you tell us who did? They deserve a lot of credit too, for those great lyrics.
1
They did, Bill, in paragraph 4: John Madara & David White.
1
Reread paragraph 4 of the article: "You Don't Own Me," written by John Madara and David White...
It's funny how you remember a song as a kid and it still performs its magic nearly fifty years later. In 1967, I was glued to the television show Batman, and it was the episode featuring "Special Guest Villain" Lesley Gore that I heard her sing (well, lip sync in those days) the song, "California Nights." The overlays of her voice and the "whoosh" in the background stimulating the California shore were mesmerizing. Decades later, when iTunes and the iPod made their appearance, that song was one of the first among a batch of my younger, jukebox selections that I downloaded. "It's My Party" and "You Don't Own Me" are great pop songs, but for me and my eagerness to seem young, "California Nights" still dazzles. I never met Ms. Gore, but I imagine she would have gotten a kick knowing how that song still revs me and is even on my playlist when I go for a run. "Whoosh"!
5
Lesley Gore was fantastic! She looked more beautiful at 60 than at 16. A life really integrated. Who sang better or with more spirit than on "Maybe I Know"? Another Jewish girl who knew how to belt it out with all the bittersweet just part of the joy of being alive with new feelings and a new kind of music.
10
What a sweet voice and presence.
Someone who made us smile.
A great talent.
Too young to leave us.
I am saddened.
I want to add one other thing.
If I read and understand correctly, Ms Gore was a lesbian.
I can't help wonder when she was aware of her sexual preference, probably in her early teens when we all start to feel those urges.
Yet she had to sing about male love partners.
Perhaps her sexual preference clarified for her over time, as can happen, and she was fine with those songs when they came out. I don't know.
I'm just so glad we are evolving so that today's singers can express themselves with a sincerity that comes from their own heart and not society's expectations or judgement.
What greater, more basic freedom than the freedom to be who we are.
The song "Maybe I Know" is so catchy. Marvelous.
I hope someone covers it…it's a hit waiting to happen again.
Someone who made us smile.
A great talent.
Too young to leave us.
I am saddened.
I want to add one other thing.
If I read and understand correctly, Ms Gore was a lesbian.
I can't help wonder when she was aware of her sexual preference, probably in her early teens when we all start to feel those urges.
Yet she had to sing about male love partners.
Perhaps her sexual preference clarified for her over time, as can happen, and she was fine with those songs when they came out. I don't know.
I'm just so glad we are evolving so that today's singers can express themselves with a sincerity that comes from their own heart and not society's expectations or judgement.
What greater, more basic freedom than the freedom to be who we are.
The song "Maybe I Know" is so catchy. Marvelous.
I hope someone covers it…it's a hit waiting to happen again.
9
It's her party and she'll cry if she wants to. Great song! A fine talent who will be missed.
6
I was so young listening to that little bitty transistor radio....dancing in my room to "Maybe I know" & singing along - every time I hear that song that memory floods back. RIP Leslie, you made a lot of wonderful memories for my peers!
BTW, there should have been a mention of the movie "Grace of My Heart", with the excellent character based on Leslie...!
BTW, there should have been a mention of the movie "Grace of My Heart", with the excellent character based on Leslie...!
6
So very sorry to hear this! Lesley's sunny, sweet voice and her innocent songs are of another less cynical and jaded age. I didn't always agree with Lesley's politics, opinions and causes in later years but from all accounts she was a sweet, good-hearted lady. My favorite of Lesley Gore's songs is "All of My Life". Rest in peace, Lesley. It's not Judy's but our turn to cry now!
3
I'll cry if I want to.
17
I didn't know we were born the same year. I remember her songs at parties as a teenager.
2
I grew up with her music and thought hers to be the most unique voice of her era. You Don't Own Me was a pop song but had so much depth in the delivery that you couldn't pass it off as mere candy floss. I put it on a mix tape next to Knights In White Satin because the depth and emotion of both was so intense. Its a sad reminder that time marches on without us when all our heroes fade away. I'm 45 and doubt that with the exception of It's My Party most people under 30 recognized her by name. Shame there were never more singers like her. She's a relic of a bygone era.
1
Lesley Gore was an iconic voice of the '60s who helped to define the era. Ms. Gore was deservedly a much-loved talent. I shall remember her fondly and fiercely. RIP.
44
Wow, I remember hearing "You Don't Own Me" for the first time when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I was at the birthday party of my friend Susan and she had one of those little record players for the 45's. It struck me as a way of thinking that was so different from other songs like Johnny Angel with lyrics about catering to your boyfriend's every whim and being whoever the boy wanted you to be.
You Don't Own Me helped me realize that I didn't have to be just a doormat for any boy who liked me. interesting to learn that it was two men who wrote the song.
You Don't Own Me helped me realize that I didn't have to be just a doormat for any boy who liked me. interesting to learn that it was two men who wrote the song.
116
Loved her songs when I was a kid. As an adult, songs like "That's the Way Boys Are" and "Maybe I Know" made me roll my eyes with their lyrics about accepting bad behavior from boyfriends, but the power of her voice redeemed them, and "You Don't Own Me" flipped those lyrics on their back and spoke to female empowerment.
Fifty years later her voice still brings joy. Sincere condolences to her loved ones, and thanks for sharing her with us.
Fifty years later her voice still brings joy. Sincere condolences to her loved ones, and thanks for sharing her with us.
48
I never stopped listening to or loving Lesley. Her music was of the fabric of our age. I most especially remember driving down Roosevelt Blvd. in Philly with "That's The Way Boys Are" playing loudly on my radio. God bless her family and know that she lives on in our hearts and 45's.
72
Lesley Gore singing on The Clay Cole show on Saturday night. Now THAT was a cool evening.
24
In creating his 2010 book, "Q on Producing," Bill Gibson did an interview with Phil Ramone in which he talked about working with Ms. Gore.
"People didn’t overdub like they do now. People didn’t come back four days later and fix things. It was pretty much, you got what you got and you fixed through editing.
He [Quincy Jones] looked at me the first time we did Leslie Gore, and he said, “You know, she should double track this.” And I said, “I don’t have another machine. We’re poor kids here. We have one big multi-track and that’s it, we’re out of tracks.”
[interviewer]: How many tracks were on it?
Three.
Well I pulled the “erase” head out and I said, “You get one chance. You’re gonna record next to your other vocal.”
I did things as a child. I wasn’t going to mix it and dump it down to a two track. I could have tried to do that, in other words, put her vocal … there’d be no sync, I’d be flying it in by hand. And that would be the only other answer to it.
[interviewer] That’s pretty gutsy, to put it in right over the top.
Well she was really good, she rehearsed it a couple of times. And we knew she could double track. She knew … she’s one of those musicians who knows what she just sang. Other people know what they just sang, but can’t sing along with themselves…Q was totally amazed."
Rest in peace, Ms. Gore.
"People didn’t overdub like they do now. People didn’t come back four days later and fix things. It was pretty much, you got what you got and you fixed through editing.
He [Quincy Jones] looked at me the first time we did Leslie Gore, and he said, “You know, she should double track this.” And I said, “I don’t have another machine. We’re poor kids here. We have one big multi-track and that’s it, we’re out of tracks.”
[interviewer]: How many tracks were on it?
Three.
Well I pulled the “erase” head out and I said, “You get one chance. You’re gonna record next to your other vocal.”
I did things as a child. I wasn’t going to mix it and dump it down to a two track. I could have tried to do that, in other words, put her vocal … there’d be no sync, I’d be flying it in by hand. And that would be the only other answer to it.
[interviewer] That’s pretty gutsy, to put it in right over the top.
Well she was really good, she rehearsed it a couple of times. And we knew she could double track. She knew … she’s one of those musicians who knows what she just sang. Other people know what they just sang, but can’t sing along with themselves…Q was totally amazed."
Rest in peace, Ms. Gore.
57
Imagine actually singing the songs. Immediately after hearing this sad news, I thought, "thank you, Quincy Jones."
I did not know Gore and her brother were involved in scoring Fame, as great a song book as they come.
I did not know Gore and her brother were involved in scoring Fame, as great a song book as they come.
2
Until this obit, I didn't realize what a gifted song writer she was.
More power to her.
More power to her.
19
Driving home today I heard the sad news about Lesley Gore. I was 12 years old when she broke loose with It's My Party and Judy's Turn to Cry. As a young person growing up in the '50s and '60s, knowing I liked girls and not having a clue what to do about it, these songs amongst others became my way of consoling myself. I had a terrible crush on my sister's friend, Judy, so JTTC struck a chord with me.
Gone to soon. I'm sure Lesley will be singing with a loud clear voice from the universe. My condolences to her partner and family.
Gone to soon. I'm sure Lesley will be singing with a loud clear voice from the universe. My condolences to her partner and family.
40
I had a big crush on Leslie Gore when I was 12 years old (she was 19).
I bought her "Girl Talk" album -- "Maybe I Know" was my favorite song on it.
Sorry she is gone so soon -- condolences to her family.
I bought her "Girl Talk" album -- "Maybe I Know" was my favorite song on it.
Sorry she is gone so soon -- condolences to her family.
11
"It's My Party" is part of the soundtrack of my childhood. I am transported back to the 60s (in my mind) whenever I hear it. RIP Lesley.
39
Oh, my. I saw her in 2001 at a wonderful show put on by Lincoln Center. It was dedicated to women singers of the 60's, mostly popular "girl groups." It was a reunion of sorts, as these different performers, now in there 50's and 60's (Crystals, Reparata & Del-Rons, Exciters, Cookies, Angels, Chantels, etc.)
http://www.ponderosastomp.com/lincoln-center-2011_shes-got-the-power.php
Leslie Gore had a long performance and Q&A at Rubenstiein Atrium. One of her struggles, as she explained, was that she was gay. Most of her songs were typical teenage boy/girl froth, yet she knew she was singing to women. "Back in the Day" that was a hardly acceptable.
She was lovely, strong and powerful. RIP. It's your party!
http://www.ponderosastomp.com/lincoln-center-2011_shes-got-the-power.php
Leslie Gore had a long performance and Q&A at Rubenstiein Atrium. One of her struggles, as she explained, was that she was gay. Most of her songs were typical teenage boy/girl froth, yet she knew she was singing to women. "Back in the Day" that was a hardly acceptable.
She was lovely, strong and powerful. RIP. It's your party!
74
Sorry, it was Summer 2011, not so long ago. (not 2001) Lincoln Center Out of Doors.
Also, nice photo:
http://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/girl-groups-take-cente...
Also, nice photo:
http://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/girl-groups-take-cente...
13
Her version of "It's My Party" recorded about ten years ago is perfection.
3
I remember listening to this lady's songs on the jukebox- 5 songs for a quarter- at the only cafe in town in Northern Minnesota. It is not so surprising that artists like her are so fondly remembered- she radiated class. As for her song, "You Don't Own Me", more than once I was reminded of that, back then and still. I wish her partner peace.
44
I was 13 at a party in Ft. Launderdale where I grew up when this song came on WQAM in Miami. Rick Shaw was the DJ. I can still see myself in the back yard of Ann Carter's house. It's funny how some music has a spiritual quality that stays with you forever. Thank you Lesley.
26
Winthropo, can you name the OTHER rock radio station in Miami at the time? 3-2-1...time's up: it was WFUN!
5
For someone who grew up in Bergenfield, having a pop star living in the next town was really cool. Not only was Lesley Gore from Tenafly, but her songs were great, she was cute, and I was hooked. And Lesley was only 1 year older than me and still in school! Can't believe she's dead.
16
She isn't dead. She passed. She will never die.
9
I remember so clearly when I first heard "You Don't Own Me" - and it struck a chord in me - a thrill of recognition. I just knew that its message would characterize my own life and future relationships.
And it has. That song - and especially, the way Ms. Gore sang it with such conviction, as if she'd lived it - is still powerful. When I hear it even now, decades later, I still feel that same thrill. Even more amazing when you realize it was supposedly about a teen love spat. But right away, my peers and I knew it was so much more.
- And not only my peers. My mom loved that song, too. I'll never forget when it started to play on the radio one day while my parents were in the middle of an argument over my mom wanting to learn to drive - and my mom started singing along! So of course, Mom won!
Wish we could broadcast it all over the world! Starting here once again in 2016!
Thank you, Ms. Gore. So sad you're gone much too soon. RIP and condolences to Ms. Sasson and your family.
And it has. That song - and especially, the way Ms. Gore sang it with such conviction, as if she'd lived it - is still powerful. When I hear it even now, decades later, I still feel that same thrill. Even more amazing when you realize it was supposedly about a teen love spat. But right away, my peers and I knew it was so much more.
- And not only my peers. My mom loved that song, too. I'll never forget when it started to play on the radio one day while my parents were in the middle of an argument over my mom wanting to learn to drive - and my mom started singing along! So of course, Mom won!
Wish we could broadcast it all over the world! Starting here once again in 2016!
Thank you, Ms. Gore. So sad you're gone much too soon. RIP and condolences to Ms. Sasson and your family.
104
That song is a feminist anthem. Its use to oppose the misogynist Republican agenda, along with Gore's endorsement, should become a prominent part of every American political campaign from now on.
https://vimeo.com/51940856
https://vimeo.com/51940856
5
My wife and I saw Lesley perform about five years ago in Palm Springs. The audience was older — much older — but when she belted out, "it's my party," she had us all in her hand. Wonderful performer. Wonderful.
33
RIP, dear Lesley, you made my life better because I learned that I was NOT alone. Thank You so much.
36
Some of the most unforgettable songs. I never knew whatever happened to her over the years. It's sad how we forget about people. RIP.
17
Visit YouTube to check out the young Ms. Gore's incredible live performance of "You Don't Own Me" on the 1964 TAMI show. What a song, what a voice, what a performer.
53
Solo girl pop music of the highest order. Leslie Gore was a favorite of mine, singing songs from sweet to serious. The Cocktail Slippers remade 'She's A Fool' a few years ago; it was a pleasant reminder of Leslie Gore's music. Sad to hear of her passing....
8
Just before I turned into a teenager, the old, brown plastic radio that sat on our kitchen counter in Rockford, Il, which belonged to my oldest brother, Jon, played many of the top 40 hits for us before we went to school. I very much remember Lesley Gore's rendition of 'It's My Party (and I'll Cry If I Want To) with her sweet, strong pop voice belting out the song's message of defiant heartbreak. In fact, I used to sing the song to myself on days when I felt like crying.
"You would cry, too, if it happened to you!" This could have been the anthem of growing up in my dysfunctional family. Goodbye, Ms. Gore, and thank you for those early memories Condolences to your family and loved ones.
126
I loved her as teen and I love it still. RIP Leslie and thanks for the enjoyment
30
I am so saddened by this news. "It's My Party" was the very first record I ever bought -- it was a 45 -- when I was a teenager in the Bronx, and Lesley was always one of my favorite singers. As it happened I was just listening to her "Greatest Hits" cd today. Rest in peace, Lesley. You will be missed.
34
I Loved her music!
6
Dreadful news. It continues to amaze me that Lesley Gore recorded the haunting "You Don't Own Me" before she was 18 years old. It's on my iPod and remains a favorite. My condolences to Ms. Sasson and Ms. Gore's mother and brother.
141
In 1955, I was 8, my sister approaching 5, and my brother was 3. We moved into a town called Tenafly, NJ. Let's see, my sister met Ms. Gore when I was 17 [1963], and David met the brother [Oscar for choreographing "Fame"], whose first name escapes me at the moment, when I was 20-21 [1967]. And if Mr. Gore's first name is also David, color me very purple.
It's 21:30 here [9:30pm], and the New York Times has ended this day, for me, on a very sour note.
It's 21:30 here [9:30pm], and the New York Times has ended this day, for me, on a very sour note.
16
her brother's 2 Oscars were for writing the music for "Fame"...best song and
best original score...and his name is not David, it's Michael
best original score...and his name is not David, it's Michael
What memories. Spring and summer 1963. I was in 7th grade in Queens. We listened to the radio, transitor or otherwise as often as we could. Cousin Brucie. WABC. Top Ten hits. "It's My Party", "Judy's Turn To Cry" and all the other great teenage songs. What sweet memories.
142
You Don't Own Me -- great song, then and now. Sad to know that another one of my contemporaries has passed away.
45
Lesley Gore's songs are part of the culture of several generations. Songs about teens, but parents loved the music too. Sad, powerful, and oh so campy, the songs have staying power. Listening or singing along to "Judy's Turn to Cry" or "It's My Party" is pure fun.
37
So sorry to hear this news. She sang so many great songs.
17
Although I was only 9 years old in 1963 when Lesley Gore had her first hit, I clearly remember the older kids in my neighborhood listening to her on the radio. Her sunny-sounding songs containing heartbreak will always recall for me the early '60's, living in suburban Connecticut, and pop music before the Beatles and the British invasion.
73
I didn't understand my parents tearful memories of, Perry Como, for example, but now I do. RIP Lesley!
63