Lesley Gore

Lesley Gore (born Lesley Sue Goldstein, May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. At the age of 16, she recorded her first hit song, "It's My Party", a U.S. number one in 1963. She followed it up with ten further U.S. 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. Gore later worked as an actress and television personality. She composed songs with her brother Michael Gore for the 1980 film Fame, which received an Academy Award Best Song 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 in Brooklyn, New York City, into a middle-class Jewish family. Her parents were Leo Goldstein and Ronny Gore. The family changed their surname to "Gore" soon after Lesley's birth. Her father was the owner of Peter Pan, a children's swimwear and underwear manufacturer, and later became a leading brand licensing agent in the apparel industry. She was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, and attended the Dwight School...