No Invitation for Lesley Gore

It was during the Easter week holiday show at the Paramount theatre in New York City that we talked with Lesley Gore. She was relaxing in her dressing
room just before she was scheduled to sing. Outside there was the incredible noise and confusion of backstage which makes it a mystery how anyone in the audience can hear anything.

But in Lesley's room all was quiet. We commented on this and Lesley smiled and said, "That's what everyone used to say and you have no idea how painful it was because I used to hear everyone laughing and talking but no one ever seemed to come in here. I began to worry about it. Maybe I had done something wrong.
Then I was asked to take some pictures with Bobby Rydell and, although our dressing rooms are across the hall from each other, we never did more than smile and say hello. We began taking pictures and clowning around.

Then Bobby said something about my sense of humor....as if he were surprised that I had one. I must have looked surprised myself because he explained that he thought that I might be one of those oh so distant rich girls who just can't be bothered. It was then that I realized how much this sort of thing has been a problem.

I really can't say how it started but somehow people did get the impression that I was from a terribly rich family and that I looked down on anyone who wasn't in the Social Register. It's all so ridiculous because my family
isn't rich. My father has worked hard all of his life to provide us with a comfortable home.

However, I was very strictly educated and learned never to speak until spoken to by an adult. I still think of myself as being a teenager and it always seems to me that everyone else is an adult...at least everyone seems
taller than me.

Now you know in show business people are so informal...It has to be that way if a show is going to work it has to be a democratic effort and you
just can't stand on ceremony....and that's wonderful.

But the habits of a lifetime are hard to break. After I had been introduced and had said hello I waited for the other person to say something. I just didn't know
how to be free and easy.

You can't imagine how terrible I felt when I would walk past open dressing rooms and see them filled with people having fun. I felt myself blushing and hoping someone would invite me in and they were wondering why I didn't just walk in.

I remember one day recently, I was in my room at home and I could hear my younger brother Mike arguing with a friend. I heard Mike say, "She's not a snob: she's my sister". I wanted to put my head out the window and say, "She's not a snob: she's shy". But it was me they were talking about.

Then I met Bobby who was so kind. Just then there was a knock on the door and before she could answer it some one opened it and said "OK honey. You're on." I looked at her. She was smiling radiantly as if she'd received the greatest compliment. And it was because he was saying "You're all right....we understand and like you."