Lesley Gore
Lesley Gore | |
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Born | Lesley Sue Goldstein May 2, 1946 New York City, U.S. |
Died | February 16, 2015 New York City, U.S. | (aged 68)
Alma mater | Sarah Lawrence College |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1963–2015 |
Notable work | |
Partner(s) | Lois Sasson (1982–2015; her death) |
Relatives |
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Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Labels | |
Lesley Sue Goldstein (May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015), better known with her family’s adopted surname as Lesley Gore,[1] was an American singer and songwriter. At the age of 16, she recorded her first hit song "It's My Party", a US number one in 1963. She followed it up with ten further US Billboard top 40 hits including "Judy's Turn to Cry" and "You Don't Own Me". Gore said she considered "You Don't Own Me" her signature song.[2]
Gore later worked as an actress and television personality. She composed songs with her brother Michael Gore for the 1980 film Fame, and received an Academy Award nomination for "Out Here On My Own". She hosted several editions of the LGBT-oriented public television show In the Life on American TV in the 2000s.
Early life and education
Gore was born Lesley Sue Goldstein[3] in Brooklyn, New York City,[4] into a middle-class Jewish family.[5] The daughter of Leo Goldstein and Ronny Gore, her family changed their surname to “Gore” soon after her birth.[1] Her father was the owner of Peter Pan, a children's swimwear and underwear manufacturer,[5] and later became a leading brand licensing agent in the apparel industry.[6] She was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey,[7] and attended the Dwight School for Girls in nearby Englewood. She also attended Sarah Lawrence College, graduating with a degree in American literature.[8]
Career
1963–1979: Commercial success
Gore was discovered after her uncle gave
"It's My Party" was followed by many other hits for Gore, including the sequel, "
Gore was given first shot at recording "
Gore recorded composer
Gore was one of the featured performers in the T.A.M.I. Show concert film, which was recorded and released in 1964 by American International Pictures, and placed in the National Film Registry in 2006. Gore had one of the longest sets in the film, performing six songs, including "It's My Party", "You Don't Own Me", and "Judy's Turn to Cry".[15]
Gore performed on two consecutive episodes of the Batman television series (January 19 and 25, 1967), in which she guest-starred as Pussycat, one of Catwoman's minions.[4] In the January 19 episode "That Darn Catwoman", she lip-synched to the Bob Crewe-produced "California Nights", and in the January 25 episode "Scat! Darn Catwoman", she lip-synched to "Maybe Now".[13] "California Nights", which Gore recorded for her 1967 album of the same name, returned her to the top twenty of the Hot 100.[11] The single peaked at number 16 in March 1967 (14 weeks on the chart). It was her first top-40 hit since "My Town, My Guy and Me" in late 1965 and her first top-20 since "Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows".[4] Gore also performed "It's My Party" and "We Know We're in Love" ten months earlier on the final episode of The Donna Reed Show, which aired on March 19, 1966.[11]
After high school, while continuing to make appearances as a singer, Gore attended Sarah Lawrence College, studying English and American literature. At college, folk music was popularly lauded as "chic", whereas pop music was often derided as "uncool".[4] "Had I been tall with blonde hair, had I been Mary Travers, I would have gotten along fine."[16] She graduated in 1968.[17][18]
Gore signed a contract with
In 1970, she signed with Crewe Records and was reunited with producer Bob Crewe, who had produced her album California Nights. Her first release under the label, "Why Doesn't Love Make Me Happy", was a moderate hit on the Adult Contemporary chart, but none of her other singles would prove to be successful. She left Crewe Records in 1971 when the label went bankrupt.
In 1972, Gore signed with MoWest Records, a subsidiary of Motown, and in July of that year released her first studio album in five years, Someplace Else Now. All of the songs were either written or co-written by Gore, with collaborators Ellen Weston and her brother Michael. Due to the failure of the album's sole single, "She Said That", along with poor promotion, Someplace Else Now died on the shelf.
1980–2014: As composer
Gore composed songs for the
Gore co-wrote a song, "My Secret Love", for the 1996 film Grace of My Heart. The film includes a subplot about a young singer named Kelly Porter, who is based in part on Gore and is played by Bridget Fonda. The character, who is a closeted lesbian, performs "My Secret Love" in the film.[22][23]
In 2005, Gore recorded
Personal life
Beginning in 2003, Gore hosted several editions of the PBS television series In the Life, which focused on LGBTQ+ issues.[25] In a 2005 interview with AfterEllen, she stated she was a lesbian and had been in a relationship with luxury jewelry designer Lois Sasson since 1982.[25] She had known about her attraction to women from the time she was 20 and stated that although the music business was "totally homophobic", she never felt she had to pretend she was straight. "I just kind of lived my life naturally and did what I wanted to do," she said. "I didn't avoid anything, I didn't put it in anybody's face."[4]
Gore had been working on a memoir and a
Her New York Times obituary stated, "with songs like 'It's My Party,' 'Judy's Turn to Cry', and the indelibly defiant 1964 single 'You Don't Own Me' — all recorded before she was 18 — Gore made herself the voice of teenaged girls aggrieved by fickle boyfriends, moving quickly from tearful self-pity to fierce self-assertion."[26]
Awards and recognition
In 1964, "It's My Party" was nominated for a
National Public Radio named Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts, Gore's second album, as forebearer of one of the top 150 albums recorded by women. The album missed the official list (1964–present) because it was released in 1963. "She is a forebearer for her assertion of feminine power in pop, and her validation of a female perspective."[31]
Lesley Gore's papers were donated to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and became accessible to the public in 2022. Catalogued by the library and her partner Lois Sasson, it includes family photos, scrapbook pages, annotated music and lyrics, business files, an unfinished memoir, and sound and video recordings.[32]
Discography
- I'll Cry If I Want To (1963)
- Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts (1963)
- Boys, Boys, Boys (1964)
- Girl Talk (1964)
- My Town, My Guy & Me (1965)
- Lesley Gore Sings All About Love (1966)
- Off and Running (1967, canceled)
- California Nights (1967)
- Magic Colors (1967, canceled)
- Someplace Else Now (1972)
- Love Me By Name (1976)[33]
- The Canvas Can Do Miracles (1982)
- Ever Since (2005)
- Magic Colors: The Lost Album (2011)[34]
Filmography
Film
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1964 | The T.A.M.I Show
|
Herself | Documentary |
1965 | The Girls on the Beach | Herself | Sings "Leave Me Alone", "It's Gotta Be You" and "I Don't Wanna Be A Loser" |
1965 | Ski Party | Herself | Sings "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" |
1968 | The Pied Piper of Astroworld | Bo Peep | Television film |
1977 | Good Old Days | Herself | Television film |
1985 | Good Time Rock 'n' Roll | Herself | Television documentary |
1986 | Deja View
|
Herself | |
1988 | Legendary Ladies of Rock & Roll | Herself | Television special |
1990 | Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones | Herself | Documentary |
1991 | Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll | Herself | Television documentary |
1992 | In the Life | Herself | Television documentary |
1998 | Quincy Jones... The First 50 Years | Herself | Television documentary |
2000 | Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955–1970) | Herself | Television documentary |
2003 | Rock at Fifty | Herself | Television documentary |
2008 | An Evening with Quincy Jones | Herself | Television documentary |
2008 | Airplay: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio | Herself | Documentary |
Television
Year | Name | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1963 | Club 1270 | Herself | A teen-oriented dance-party television show on WXYZ-TV in Detroit ("1270" was a reference to the frequency of WXYZ-AM radio, a leading Top 40 station in the Detroit area at the time, now WXYT).[35] |
1963 | The Keefe Brasselle Show | Herself | |
1963 | American Bandstand | Herself | Season 6, episode 194, AB-1528: Lesley Gore – aired 5/30/63.[36] |
1963– 64 |
Thank Your Lucky Stars | Herself | Recurring guest; 2 episodes |
1963– 70 |
The Ed Sullivan Show | Herself | Recurring guest; 4 episodes: season 16, episode 3 – Other guests: Tony Bennett, Frank Gorshin, Bob & Ray – aired 10/13/63; season 17, episode 18 – Other guests: Burt Lancaster, Mickey Rooney, Miriam Makeba, Shelley Berman – aired 1/31/65; season 21, episode 32 – Other guests: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Gwen Verdon; season 22, episode 30 – Other guests: Richie Havens, Moms Mabley, Stiller & Meara – aired 4/26/70.[36] |
1963– 75 |
New American Bandstand 1965 | Herself | Recurring guest; 3 episodes: season 10, episode 31 – Other guest: The Music Machine – aired 4/8/67; season 10, episode 4 – Other guest: ? (Question Mark) and the Mysterians – aired 10/1/66; season 19, episode 4 – aired 9/27/75.[36] |
1964 | The Beat Room | Herself | |
1964 | The Lloyd Thaxton Show
|
Herself | Season 4, episode 10 – aired September 28, 1964[36] |
1965 | Fanfare | Herself | Season 1, episode 7 – other guests: Tom Jones, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass – aired July 31, 1965[36] |
1965 | Shindig! | Herself | Recurring guest; 2 episodes: season 1, episode 30 – Show 30 – April 7, 1965 – other guests: Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Larry Hovis, Martha and the Vandellas, Righteous Brothers
Season 2, episode 5 – Show 56 – September 30, 1965 – other guests: Mickey Rooney (guest host), Major Lance, The Turtles[36] |
1965 | Hollywood A Go-Go
|
Herself | |
1965– 66 |
Hullabaloo | Herself | Recurring guest; 3 episodes: season 1, episode 8 – Show #8 – Host: Trini Lopez – aired 3/2/65; season 2, episode 7 – Show#25 – Host: Peter Noone (of Herman's Hermits) – aired 11/1/65; season 2, episode 16 – Show #34 – Host: Roger Smith – aired 1/3/66; season 2, episode 30 – Show #48 – Host: Paul Anka – aired 4/11/66.[36] |
1965– 70 |
Merv Griffin Show
|
Herself | Recurring guest: 8 episodes: season 2, episode 76 – aired 8/23/65; season 5, episode 104 – aired 1/25/68; Season 5, episode 157 – aired 4/9/68; season 6, episode 96 – aired 1/13/69; season 6, episode 154 – aired 4/3/69; season 7, episode 162 – aired 4/2/70; season 7, episode 239 – aired 7/16/70; season 7, episode 243 – aired 7/22/70.[36]
Aired April 2, 1970[37] |
1965– 71 |
The Mike Douglas Show | Herself | Recurring guest; 13 episodes: The Mike Douglas Show Herself
Season 4: episode 237 – aired 8/4/65, season 5: episode 47 – aired 11/9/65, season 5, episode 216 – aired 7/11/66, season 6: episode 16 – aired 9/26/66, season 6: episode 92 – aired 1/10/67, season 6: episode 176 – aired 5/8/67, season 7: episode 106 – aired 1/29/68, season 7: episode 201 – aired 6/10/68, season 8: episode 42 – aired 11/5/68, season 8: episode 150 – aired 4/4/69, season 9: episode 25 – – aired 10/3/69, season 9: episode 51 – aired 11/10/69, season 9: episode 136 – aired 3/9/70, season 10: episode 118 – aired 2/17/71[36] |
1965 | Shivaree | Herself | Season 2, episode 16 – Show #48 0 aired 12/25/658.[36] |
1966 | The Andy Williams Show | Herself | Season 5, episode 10 – aired November 13, 1966.[36] |
1966 | The Donna Reed Show | Herself | Season 8, episode 27: "By-Line—Jeff Stone" – aired 3/19/66[38] |
1966 | Where the Action Is | Herself | Season 6, episode 237 – aired 9/10/66, other guests: the Four Tops[36] |
1967 | The Match Game | Herself | Season 6, episode 6 – Lesley Gore & Soupy Sales – aired 10/9/67[36] |
1967 | Batman | Pussycat | Recurring role; 2 episodes: season 2 episodes 40 – That Darn Catwoman – aired 1/19/67; season 2, episode 41 – Scat! Darn Catwoman – aired 1/25/67.[36] |
1967 | Dream Girl of '67 | Herself | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
1967 | Malibu U | Herself | Season 1, episode 4 – aired 8/11/67 – Other guests include The Turtles and Lou Rawls[36] |
1967 | Binnen en Buiten | Herself | |
1967– 68 |
The Joey Bishop Show | Herself | Recurring guest; 3 episodes: season 1, episode 78 – aired 8/2/67; season 2, episode 122 – aired 3/8/68; season 2, episode 128 – aired 3/18/68.[36] |
1968 | Happening '68 | Herself | Rock music series on the ABC network. It aired Saturday afternoons following American Bandstand. Happening aired Mon through Fri from 7/15/68-10/25/68.[39] |
1968 | What's My Line? | Herself | Mystery guest; season 1, episode 131 – aired 1/31/1968 |
1969– 70 |
Della | Herself | Recurring guest; 2 episodes: season 1, episode 14 – aired 6/26/69; season 1, episode 154 – aired 1/13/70.[36] |
1970 | Playboy After Dark | Herself | Recurring guest; 2 episodes – season 2, episode 11 – Other guests: Don Adams, Fleetwood Mac, Arte Johnson – aired 1/8/70.[36] |
1970 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Herself | Season 8, episode 41 700701 – aired 7/1/70.[36] |
1970– 71 |
The Rolf Harris Show | Herself | Recurring guest; 2 episodes |
1970 | The David Frost Show
|
Herself | Recurring guest; 2 episodes – season 2, episode 104 – aired January 22, 1970; season 3, episode 59 – aired December 17, 1970.[36] |
1970 | The Dick Cavett Show | Herself | Season 5, episode 55 – aired January 22, 1970.[36] |
1971 | The Virginia Graham Show | Herself | |
1975–76 | The Midnight Special | Herself | Guest host – season 5, episode 2 – aired 9/24/76. Guest on 2 episodes: season 3, episode 34 – Host: Chubby Checker; season 4, episode 21 – Host: David Brenner, Other guest: Fleetwood Mac[36] |
1976 | Dinah! | Herself | Season 2, episode 167 – aired May 24, 1976[36] |
1977 | Sha Na Na | Herself | |
1977 | $20,000 Pyramid
|
Herself | $20,000 Pyramid – season 6, episode 6 – Soupy Sales & 5 female stars – aired 10/10/77[36] |
1970 | Our Time | Herself | |
1982–83 | All My Children | June Gordan | A music publicist for 6 episodes; performed the song "Easy to Say, Hard to Do" which was written for the show |
1998 | Murphy Brown | Herself | Episode: season 10 episode 16: "Opus One"[40] Frank recreates American Bandstand for Murphy's 50th birthday; guests Dick Clark; Fabian; Lesley Gore; Chubby Checker; Sally Field. |
1998 | A Capitol Fourth | Herself | Lesley performed in concert for the annual "A Capitol Fourth" July 4 celebration in Washington. The show was nationally televised by PBS on the evening of July 4, 1998. (Frank Dixon original source on this).[41] |
2001 | Walk on By: The Story of Popular Song | Herself | Episode: "Producer Pop" |
2001 | Biography
|
Herself | Episode: "Lesley Gore: 'It's Her Party'" |
2002 | Hollywood Squares | Herself | Recurring guest; 2 episodes |
2005 | Party Planner with David Tutera | Herself | Episode: "Broadway Legend's Soiree" |
2006 | In the Life | Herself | Season 1, episode 116 on Logo Borders – aired 1/1/06[36] |
2007 | TV Land Confidential | Herself | Episode: "Music" |
Unknown | My Music: New Rock, Pop & Doo Wop | Herself | PBS fund-raising special in the My Music series; singing You Don’t Own Me; Volume Two: Doo Wop 51 and Rock At 50.[42][43] |
Unknown | Days of Our Lives | Unknown | |
Unknown | Gay USA | Unknown |
References
- ^ a b Salitsky, Amy (November 13, 2017). "Lesley Gore: The Jewish Feminist Lesbian Pop Star Ahead of Her Time | November 13, 2017". heyalma.com. 70 Faces Media. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ "Lesley Gore, It's My Party singer, dies aged 68". BBC News. February 17, 2015. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ "Lesley Gore : Biography". Biography.com. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Lesley Gore, who sang 'It's My Party,' dead at 68". New York Daily News.com. February 16, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
- ^ Jewish family in New York City and grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey."
- ^ Salmans, Sandra (May 24, 1981). "Finding the Products for Famous Names". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
- ^ Fine, Arlene. "It's Lesley Gore's party at Cain Park"Cleveland Jewish News, July 31, 2008. Accessed July 12, 2017.
- ^ a b Davies, Dave. "Fresh Air Remembers Lesley Gore Who Sang Hits Including 'You Don't Own Me'". npr.org. NPR. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Bever, Lindsey (February 17, 2015). "Lesley Gore: How she went from 'It's My Party' to 'You Don't Own Me'". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "'It's My Party' singer-songwriter Lesley Gore dies at 68". MSN.com. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
- ^ Clementi, Muzio. Sonatina, Opus 36, Number 5 [see movement III, Rondo, measures 1–12]
- ^ a b Hoekstra, Dave. "Our favorite Lesley Gore moments"[permanent dead link], Chicago Sun-Times, March 11, 2007. Accessed May 31, 2007.[dead link]
- ^ PBS "American Masters: Marvin Hamlisch" edition
- ^ Vincent, Alice. "Lesley Gore: Nine things you didn't know" Archived March 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. The Independent, February 17, 2015.
- ^ David Tipmore (April 14, 1975). "It's My Comeback and I'll Try If I Want To". Village Voice. p. 126. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- Pittsburgh Press, June 6, 1969.
- ^ Jon Bream, "It's Lesley Gore's party" Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Star Tribune, January 10, 2010.
- ^ Record World (PDF). Record World. July 6, 1968. pp. 25–28.
- ^ Billboard (PDF). Billboard. September 9, 1968. p. 110, review.
- ^ Jones, Chad. "It's still her party, and Lesley Gore's not crying", Oakland Tribune, April 21, 2006. Accessed May 31, 2007.[dead link]
- The Advocate, January 17, 2006. "Gore could have been out more prominently in the mid-'90s in connection with the movie Grace of My Heart, which included a subplot about a Gore-like teen idol (played by Bridget Fonda) who was gay. Gore worked on the character's song—'My Secret Love'—until she was comfortable having her name on it as a co-writer, but she felt wary that she'd been brought in too late for a real collaboration, and when she wasn't even invited to the premiere, Gore was convinced the filmmakers had used her primarily for publicity. 'It turned into the opposite of what I would have wanted,' she says."
- ISBN 978-1466873018, p. 167. Excerpts available Archived April 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine at Google Books.
- ^ a b "IT'S HER PARTY... Early '60s legend Lesley Gore cuts her first studio album in 30 years". NY Daily News. July 24, 2005. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
- ^ After Ellen, June 3, 2005
- ^ a b Pareles, Jon (February 16, 2015). "Lesley Gore, Teenage Voice of Heartbreak, Dies at 68". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015.
- ^ "Lesley Gore Dead: 'It's My Party' Singer-Songwriter Dies at 68". Variety. February 16, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
- ^ "'It's My Party' Singer-Songwriter Lesley Gore Dies at 68". ABC News. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
- ^ Furness, Hannah (February 16, 2015). "Lesley Gore, the singer, dies aged 68". The Telegraph. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
- ^ Retro, Ricky. "It's her party, and it's Spector's turn to cry", The Star-Ledger, May 24, 2004.
- ^ FARRELL, Margaret (August 30, 2017). "Forebears: The Teenage Wisdom Of 'Lesley Gore Sings Of Mixed-Up Hearts'". npr.org. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ "Lesley Gore - Love Me by Name". www.discogs.com. 1976. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ Marchese, Joe (May 18, 2011). "Where Are All The "Magic Colors": Lesley Gore's Lost Album Arrives on CD". The Second Disc. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- ^ "Remembering Swingin Time and Club 1270". February 13, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Lesley Gore". TV.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
- ^ "The Merv Griffin Show, April 2, 1970". Archived from the original on May 30, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "A Minor Consideration Website". Archived from the original on January 10, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ TV.com. "Happening '68". Archived from the original on June 14, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "LocateTV.com Is Closed". Archived from the original on October 7, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "Lesley's News". Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ "Rock, Pop & Doo Wop | Volume Two: Doo Wop 51 and Rock At 50". treasurycollection.com. Treasury Collection. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ Marchese, Joe. "A Second Disc Interview: TJ Lubinsky Shares Details on New "Rock, Pop, and Doo Wop" DVD Set". theseconddisc.com. The Second Disc. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
External links
- Discography Archived March 2, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
- Lesley Gore at AllMusic
- Lesley Gore at IMDb
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