Singer Lesley Gore, best known for the 1963 pity-party anthem “It’s My Party,”; has passed away, reports Associated Press. She was 68.
Gore was only 16 when she topped the charts with the smash hit that declared, “It’s my party, I can cry if I want to,”; following that up with such hits as “Judy’s Turn to Cry”; and the proto-feminist “You Don’t Own Me.”;
Gore’s partner of 33 years, Lois Sasson, confirmed to AP that Gore had been battling lung cancer, and died in a New York City hospital.
Discovered as a teenager by Quincy Jones, Gore was signed to Mercury Records while still in high school. She went on to earn a degree in English/American literature from Sarah Lawrence College.
Gore also had a brief foray into acting, playing Catwoman’s sidekick Pussycat in the 1960s TV hit Batman.
In addition to Sasson, Gore is survived by her brother and mother.