In 1963, the White Sox went 94-68 and finished in second place, while the Cubs went 82-80 and finished in seventh. Also in 1963, 16-year-old Lesley Gore recorded the pop hit ‘‘It’s My Party,’’ which ended up in first place, a nationwide hit. Her record producer was Quincy Jones. She followed that with another hit, ‘‘Judy’s Turn to Cry.’’ When Gore was 17, she recorded her last top-10 hit, an early feminist anthem, ‘‘You Don’t Own Me.’’
In her obituary, the New York Times wrote, “Ms. Gore made herself the voice of teenage girls aggrieved by fickle boyfriends, moving quickly from tearful self-pity to fierce self-assertion.” ‘‘You Don’t Own Me’’ has been repeatedly re-recorded and revived by performers. In March, during Women’s History Month, I urge you all to listen to this great song and the great voice of Gore.
