[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lesley_gore.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:310:[[WaxingLyrical It's her TV Tropes page, and she'll cry if she wants to.]]]]
->''"You don't own me\\
I'm not just one of your many toys\\
You don't own me\\
Don't say I can't go with other boys\\\
And don't tell me what to do\\
Don't tell me what to say\\
And please, when I go out with you\\
Don't put me on display"''
-->-- "You Don't Own Me"

Lesley Sue Goldstein (May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015), known professionally as Lesley Gore, was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. In 1963, at the age of 16, she recorded the pop hit "It's My Party" (a US number one), and followed it up with other hits including "Judy's Turn to Cry", "She's a Fool", "You Don't Own Me", "Maybe I Know" and "California Nights".

Gore also worked as an actress, making an appearance on TheSixties TV series ''Series/{{Batman|1966}}'', and composed songs for the soundtrack of the 1980 film ''Film/{{Fame}}'', for which she received an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination for "Out Here on My Own", written with her brother Michael.

In 2005, Gore came out as a lesbian. It was later revealed that, although she had stayed closeted to the general public, she was out to practically everyone in the music business during her career.

She died of lung cancer on February 16, 2015 at the age of 68.
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!!Discography
* ''I'll Cry If I Want To'' (1963)
* ''Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts'' (1963)
* ''Boys, Boys, Boys'' (1964)
* ''Girl Talk'' (1964)
* ''My Town, My Guy & Me'' (1965)
* ''Lesley Gore Sings All About Love'' (1966)
* ''California Nights'' (1967)
* ''Someplace Else Now'' (1972)
* ''Love Me By Name'' (1975)
* ''The Canvas Can Do Miracles'' (1982)
* ''Ever Since'' (2005)
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!!Sunshine, lollipops and tropes:
* ConcertFilm: She was one of the biggest stars in the 1964 all-star concert film ''Film/TAMIShow''.
* CryingAtYourBirthdayParty:
** "It's My Party ([[IsntItIronic And I'll Cry If I Want To]])" is about the singer getting dumped by her boyfriend Johnny for another girl in her birthday and Johnny arriving to the party with said other girl, driving the singer into a HeroicBSOD as she sees them enjoy themselves.
** A sequel song (appropriately-named "Judy's Turn to Cry") has the singer realize how silly it is for her to react that badly, kissing another boy at the party - [[GreenEyedEpiphany who Johnny promptly punches]], reuniting with her while dumping Judy.
* FemaleEmpowermentSong: "You Don't Own Me", to the point that it's often cited as a factor in the second wave of feminism, and most appearances of the song in media treat it as such. It's about how her lover doesn't own her thoughts or body.
* GirlNextDoor: Her image in TheSixties was as a wholesome girl.
* GreenEyedEpiphany: "Judy's Turn to Cry" (the sequel to "It's My Party") has the singer get Johnny back this way. She kisses another guy and it makes Johnny realize that he still wants to be with her.
* IronicBirthday: In "It's My Party", the singer loses her boyfriend Johnny to Judy, who shows up at the birthday party wearing his engagement ring.
* OperationJealousy: How the singer gets back with Johnny in "Judy's Turn to Cry". She kisses someone else at a party, and Johnny socks him.
* TransAtlanticEquivalent: Is often considered an American equivalent of the UK's Sandie Shaw and vice versa, as both were 60s GirlNextDoor singers.
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!!In media:
* ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs'' features "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" playing when Flint first makes its rain food over Shallow Falls.
* In ''WebAnimation/{{Eddsworld}}'', Tord has a particular hatred for "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows".
* At the end of ''Film/TheFirstWivesClub'', the three "first wives" -- Creator/BetteMidler, Creator/DianeKeaton and Creator/GoldieHawn -- break into singing "You Don't Own Me" in triumph over their selfish ex-husbands.
* The title of the 2007 SlasherMovie ''Film/ItsMyPartyAndIllDieIfIWantTo'' is clearly based on "It's My Party" and its refrain, "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to..."
* Gore appears as a character in an episode of ''Series/ThePlayboyClub'' played by Music/ColbieCaillat, singing her hit, "It's My Party".
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E6MargeOnTheLam Marge on the Lam]]" in which Marge and her feminist neighbor go on a rebellious spree down the highway in a stolen Ford Thunderbird (in an obvious ''Film/ThelmaAndLouise'' parody), the neighbor goes to put in a tape of what she believes is "Welcome to the Jungle" by Music/GunsNRoses, but mistakenly puts on "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" instead. (Made doubly funny later on when Chief Wiggum and Homer make the same mistake, but end up enjoying the Lesley Gore song)
* A cover of "You Don't Own Me" by Australian singer Grace (later known as Saygrace) featuring Music/GEazy, produced by Music/QuincyJones (who also produced Gore's original recording) and released as Grace's debut single in March 2015, one month after Gore's death, was used in the third trailer for ''Film/{{Suicide Squad|2016}}''. Considering that Gore herself had appeared in another Creator/DCComics property (the '60s ''Series/{{Batman|1966}}'' TV series) one could consider it as things coming full circle.
* "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" also appeared in a scene of episode 9 of ''Series/{{The Umbrella Academy|2019}}'', when Hazel was having a scuffle with Cha-Cha to save Agnes.
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