Soon the band drafted Dave Gahan to be the band's lead singer after hearing him sing ' Heroes' by David Bowie. Fletcher recruited Gore into his band Composition of Sound along with Vince Clarke. In 1980, Gore reunited with classmate Andy Fletcher at the Van Gogh club. Gore has two younger half-sisters, Karen, born in 1967, and Jacqueline, born in 1968.

He borrowed a Korg 700S from a friend, before purchasing a Yamaha CS5, his first synthesizer. Gore became interested in electronic music upon hearing acts such as Kraftwerk, the Human League and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD). During evenings, weekends and any other spare time, he remained involved with Norman and the Worms. Gore left Nicholas Comprehensive after completing his A-levels in 1979 and took a job as a bank cashier. He shared a class with Andy 'Fletch' Fletcher, Alison Moyet and Perry Bamonte. He attended Nicholas Comprehensive School, Basildon, where he was the guitarist in a local band called Norman and the Worms. He learned to perform chart hits, figuring out their structures via the magazine Disco 45. Gore taught himself to play keyboard from the 1970s, never receiving formal training. However, he also stated that he enjoyed his time at school and took part in foreign exchange trips. Gore has described his upbringing as 'normal' and 'stable' but said he was also an introvert and preferred to spend time reading alone rather than with school peers. As an adult, Gore met his biological father in the American South.

He believed his stepfather was his biological father until age 13, when he learned of his biological father. Gore was raised by his stepfather David Gore and biological mother Pamela, who both worked at the Ford of Britain motor plant in Dagenham. His biological father was an African-American G.I. Martin Lee Gore was born in London, England. He was given the Moog Innovation Award 'for his many contributions to the exploration of sound in popular music' in 2019, and became a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member in late 2020 with fellow Depeche Mode members Andrew Fletcher and Dave Gahan. In 1999, he received the Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors for 'International Achievement'. At the same time, he asserts that the band's music contains 'an element of hope'. Gore has said he feels lyrical themes which tackle issues related to solitude and loneliness are a better representation of reality, whereas he finds 'happy songs' fake and unrealistic. Gore's lyrics included themes such as sex, religion, and politics. Gore has also released several solo albums and collaborated with former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke as part of VCMG. Gore possesses a tenor singing voice which contrasts with Dave Gahan's dramatic baritone and is also known for his flamboyant and (sometimes) androgynous stage persona.

Gore is the band's guitarist and keyboardist, contributes backing vocals, and occasionally provides lead vocals. He is one of the founding members of the electronic rock band Depeche Mode and is its primary songwriter.

Martin Lee Gore (born 23 July 1961) is an English songwriter, musician, singer, record producer, and DJ.

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