Lesley Gore Dies At The Age Of 68

Singer and songwriter Lesley Gore died Monday at the age of 68. According to Yahoo Music, Gore is a nonsmoker, but died of Lung Cancer.

Lesley Gore was born May 2, 1946 in Brooklyn. She was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey and graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in English/American literature. As a teenager she was signed to Mercury Records after Quincy Jones discovered her. Gore’s first hit song topped the charts in 1963. She was only 16 years old, but her song “It’s My Party” became the teenage anthem at the time. Following the success of her hit song, “It’s My Party” some of her other hits include “She’s A Fool”, “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows”, and “That’s the Way Boys Are”.

Although Gore’s career started at the early age of 16, she was involved in the music business throughout her entire life. In1964, she sang at the T.A.M.I Show in Santa Monica, California. In 2012 she performed in the “She’s Got The Power” concert at Lincoln Center. In addition to her incredible singing abilities, Gore was also known for her talent at writing music as well. She co-wrote the Academy Award-nominated “Out Here On My Own” from the film “Fame.” She also co-wrote “My Secret Love” for the film “Grace Of My Heart”.

In 2005 she released the album “Every Since,” which recaptured some of her oldest hits. Alongside her music career she was also active in television and theatre. In 1964 she played Catwoman’s sidekick in “Batman”. She performed in “Smokey Joe’s Café” on Broadway and hosted the PBS series “In The Life”. According to Yahoo Music, Gore was working on a stage version of her life with Mark Hampton when she died.

Gore’s partner of 33 years, Lois Sasson commented on what an amazing person Gore was. “She was a wonderful human being — caring, giving, a great feminist, great woman, great human being, great humanitarian,” Sasson, a jewelry designer, told The Associated Press.

Musician Ronnie Spector also commented on news of Gore’s death. “She was a serious artist that was way ahead of her time,” said Spector. “She had a certain sound. But you want to be able to do new things too, and it can be hard on an artist that is so identified with a specific sound. Although she wasn’t in a girl group, Lesley was definitely a huge part of that era. But she continued to be creative, and kept looking ahead, and that’s how I will remember her.”