(JTA) — Singer-songwriter Lesley Gore, whose hit “It’s My Party” topped the charts in 1963 when she was 17, has died.
Gore died Monday of cancer at a New York hospital. She was 68.
“It’s My Party” was nominated for a Grammy Award and sold over 1 million copies. Other Gore hits included “Judy’s Turn to Cry” and “You Don’t Own Me.”
Gore, born Lesley Sue Goldstein in Brooklyn and raised in Tenafly, N.J., was discovered by producer Quincy Jones as a teen and signed with Mercury Records.
She was nominated for an Oscar, with her brother Michael, for co-writing “Out Here on My Own” from the popular 1980s movie “Fame.”
She came out as a lesbian during a 2005 interview.
Gore is survived by her partner of 33 years, Lois Sasson; her mother, Ronnie; and her brother.
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