S.O.D. "It's My Party" by Leslie Gore

2/17/2015     This song goes out as a tribute to Lesley Gore who died on Monday, February 16, 2015 of lung cancer although she was a non-smoker.  She recorded this song at the age of 16 in 1963 and was a junior in high school when it became a #1 hit.  Gore was born on May 2, 1946 in Brooklyn, New York but raised in Tenafly, New Jersey.  Her father, Leo Gore, was a wealthy manufacturer of children's clothing.  She had many other hits that climbed the charts and received an Academy Award for work done with her brother, Michael Gore, composing songs for the 1980 movie "Fame".  Gore was also an actress and made it to many TV spots including a recurring role on the Batman series in 1967 where she played as Pussycat, one of Catwoman's minions.  

     "It's My Party" was written by Walter Gold, John Gluck Jr. and Herb Weiner, produced by Quincy Jones which was his first hit single and released in 1963.  Also in 1963 Gore recorded A sequel to "It's My Party" called "Judy's Turn to Cry" in which the teenage girl in "It's My Party" gets revenge on Judy for stealing her boyfriend.  Her 2005 album, "Ever Since" received many favorable reviews from Rolling Stone, Billboard Magazine, the New York Times, and other National press.  Neil Sedaka is quoted as stating that Gore was "a phenomenal talent" and "a great songwriter in her own right". She was 68 years old.