68 year old Lesley Gore has passed away from lung cancer. She was the singer of Its My Party,’ ‘Judy’s Turn To Cry,’ and, her anthem, ‘You Don’t One Me.’ She died in a NYC hospital. Her partner of 33 years, Lois Sassoon had this to say about her:
She was a wonderful human being — caring, giving, a great feminist, great woman, great human being, great humanitarian.
The singer was born in Brooklyn but raised in New Jersey. She was discovered by Quincy Jones and he signed her on to Mercury Records, according to the New York Times on Feb. 16.
Gore once sang along with popular singers such as James Brown and the Rolling Stones at the T.A.M.I Show in Santa Monica.
According to TMZ, Gore used her anthem ‘You Don’t Own Me’ to make a point for reproductive rights at the 2012 presidential election.
The singer officially came out of the closet as being a lesbian when she hosted a few episodes for the PBS series, ‘In The Life.’ This show dealt with gay and lesbian issues.
Lesley Gore did perform for her last few years. Some singers she performed with during her last few years of life include Ronnie Spector and LaLa Brooks. They headlined the outdoor concert, ‘She’s Got The Power’ at the Lincoln Center in 2012.
As well as being survived by her partner Sassoon, she is also survived by her mother and brother. Her funeral services will be held on Thursday at the Frank E. Campbell funeral home on Madison Avenue.
