Lesley Gore
A teenage voice who turned a pop song into a feminist anthem, proving that a girl's declaration of independence could top the charts.
1946–2015 (age 69)·American singer·Birthday: May 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
At 16 years old in 1963, Lesley Gore recorded 'It's My Party,' a number-one single that captured adolescent heartbreak with crystalline clarity. Quincy Jones managed her, and she became a regular presence on early-1960s pop charts, a poised teenager in chiffon singing about teenage troubles. In 1964 she released 'You Don't Own Me,' a song she insisted was her own. Its defiant lyrics, delivered with cool authority, outlasted the era and became an anthem for personal freedom. After her hit years ended, Gore studied at Sarah Lawrence College, wrote songs for other artists, and advocated for LGBTQ+ rights. Her life produced a richer story than her initial teen-idol image suggested.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Lesley was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lesley Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Lesley's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2015Died at 69
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Scored a US number-one hit at age 16 with 'It's My Party' in 1963.
- Recorded the enduring feminist anthem 'You Don't Own Me,' which became her signature song.
- Accumulated 11 US Billboard Top 40 hits during the 1960s.
- Nominated for an Academy Award for co-writing the song 'Out Here on My Own' from the film *Fame*.
Did You Know?
She was discovered by producer Quincy Jones while singing at a hotel party.
She attended the same high school as actress and singer Liza Minnelli.
She made a cameo appearance in the 1980 film *Fame*, performing 'Out Here on My My Own.'
She was an outspoken supporter of gay rights and performed at many LGBTQ+ benefits.
“It was a hit record, but it was also a statement, and I understood that even then.”
