The ache in Lesley Gore’s voice, the twinge of pain as she worries out about boys and boys and boys, were mini-teen operas, and lesley sang them with a tremulous pain and a generous heart. These were the sort of extreme emotions that existed in the hearts of teen girls everywhere, where life is such an extremely subjective experience, it was the most important thing in the world.
She was sixteen when “It’s My Party” was released and soon followed it with the answer song “”Judy’s Turn to Cry”.That was 1963 and more hits followed: “You don’t Own Me” and “That’s The Tay Boys Are” being the best and biggest.
In 2005 she came out as a lesbian.
On Monday her partner of 33 years, Lois Sasson, announced Gore’s death of lung cancer
I spent an evening with Lesley maybe twenty years ago at a charity function for the Starlight Foundation. She seemed pleasant albeit a little bemused, there were many celebrities around but she was very sweet and easy to talk to. Perhaps she wasn’t completely aware the tremendous love and affection pop fans have for her, how her songs have gone from generation to generation. There is something about these songs that are unlike any one else, she had a unique voice as a songwriter and as a person -the melody of intense feelings.