Born Lesley Goldstein in New York City and raised in Tenafly, NJ. Having secured a recording contract with Mercury Records on the basis of a privately financed demonstration disc, Gore enjoyed a sensational debut when "It's My Party" topped the US chart in May 1963, reached number 9 in the UK and grossed sales in excess of $1 million. The vengeful follow-up, "Judy's Turn To Cry", reached US number 5 and earned another gold disc, but successive releases, including "She's A Fool" (US number 5), "You Don't Own Me" (US number 2), a powerful call for independence, "That's The Way Boys Are" (US number 12) and "Maybe I Know" (US number 14), confirmed that the singer was not simply a novelty act. Gore made several appearances in teen-oriented movies including THE GIRLS ON THE BEACH and SKI PARTY (both 1965), and television shows including "Batman," but her career was marred by periods of inactivity. After a few singles on the Crew label she re-emerged in 1972 with "Someplace Else Now," released on Motown Records' MoWest subsidiary. Three years later she was briefly reunited with producer/songwriter Quincy Jones, who had discovered her singing at a hotel in Manhattan and had produced her early Mercury recordings, on the exceptional A&M Records single, "Immortality". Gore established herself as a songwriter of note with her contribution to the FAME (1980) soundtrack, earning an Oscar® nomination for "Out Here On My Own", which was co-written with her songwriter brother Michael. Her own recordings have been few and far between, with only an album for the short-lived 51 West label in 1981, and a single five years later on the Manhattan label. She has continued to tour to packed audiences on the caberet circuit, while her acting career includes highlights such as 1999's appearance on Broadway in Smokey Joe's Cafe. Despite the frailty exhibited on her debut single, Lesley Gore is now viewed by commentators as an early champion of women's rights, despite the fact that the songs which made her famous were penned by a male writing team.  Nominated for Music Best Song 1980: FAME "Out Here on My Own" - Lyric 1 nomination