Some of us (old enough to remember) enjoyed a number of Lesley Gore's pop hits back in the 1960's. "It's My Party" is one of my favorites. Anyway, she has passed away at 68 from cancer.
From JMG (via the AP):
A singer-songwriter who topped the charts in 1963 with her epic song of teenage angst "It's My Party" and followed it up with the hits "Judy's Turn to Cry" and "You Don't Own Me" has died. Lesley Gore was 68. According to her partner of 33 years, Gore died Monday of cancer at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. Brooklyn-born and New Jersey-raised, Gore was discovered by Quincy Jones as a teenager and signed to Mercury Records. Gore's other hits include "She's A Fool," "That's the Way Boys Are" and "Maybe I Know." She co-wrote with her brother, Michael, the Academy Award-nominated "Out Here On My Own" from the film "Fame."
From
Towleroad:
Gore came out publicly as a lesbian in a 2005 interview with Afterellen, saying:
Well, you know, it’s funny. I just never found it was necessary because I really never kept my life private. Those who knew me, those who worked with me were well aware.