As far as I’m concerned, collaboration is the essence of life. It’s wonderful to be able to have talents, and, very often, we think that we know what our talents are, or we find out through a back door that we have a talent. I know that I found out I was a lyricist quite through a back door. Lesley Gore Read Quote
When I wake up in the morning, and I go to the piano, and there’s a blank sheet of paper in front of me, by the end of the day, that could be a gold mine. You really do need to wake up and expect that the world is your oyster because it very well may be. Lesley Gore Read Quote
I’ve listened to Eminem rap. That’s not daily fare for me, but I can’t help but admire how vivid what he does is. My own taste goes a little more toward Norah Jones. Lesley Gore Read Quote
I decided to host a couple of the ‘In The Life’ programs. And I did that really as a result of meeting a lot of young gay people in the Midwest who really had nothing to relate to. At least I felt this program is presenting them with some options. Lesley Gore Read Quote
I worked with Carl Perkins on a number of shows. Live shows. He just showed up and played. He just killed. Killed! Man… he was amazing! Lesley Gore Read Quote
I have to say that when I first started singing, I didn’t think it was a very noble profession. I worked for people like Robert Kennedy and I thought: ‘Wow, that’s what it’s about. That’s how you change the world.’ And then I watched that disintegrate in front of my eyes, and it was very discouraging. Lesley Gore Read Quote
I wouldn’t go so far as to make ‘You Don’t Own Me’ a tango or ‘It’s My Party’ a hip-hop thing. Believe me, those things have been suggested to me. But I thought if I could stay true to the song, the arrangements would work. I’m really enjoying singing them. Lesley Gore Read Quote
The short story and the truth is that I was taking vocal lessons here in New York… One day, instead of my lesson, the piano player and I went into a studio… and we put down some demos… Those demos got to Quincy Jones through an agent… He listened to them, he called me, and we started to record. Lesley Gore Read Quote
I think that in many ways, gays are behind women and behind blacks, as far as rights go. But I always say, if you know one of us, it’s hard to hate us. Lesley Gore Read Quote
I have nothing but the best memories of growing up in New Jersey. Of course, I grew up in a nice town, a suburb. But Tenafly was right next to Englewood, which had a tremendous amount of racial tension in the ’60s. So I was aware of the real world. Lesley Gore Read Quote