Renowned ’60s girl-pop star, composer and actress Lesley Gore passed away yesterday in Manhattan at age 68 of lung cancer. The iconic singer is survived by her brother and mother as well as her partner of 33 years, Lois Sasson.
After being discovered by producer Quincy Jones, Brooklyn-born Gore shot to fame in the early ’60s with several singles she recorded before turning 18; her first hit, 1963’s “It’s My Party,” was followed by “Judy’s Turn to Cry,” a “My Party” sequel celebrating victory over one’s romantic rival.
Gore’s 1964 single “You Don’t Own Me” was a thematic departure from some of her earlier hits; speaking to The Minneapolis Star Tribune in 2010, the singer explained:
When I heard it for the first time, I thought it had an important humanist quality. As I got older, feminism became more a part of my life and more a part of our whole awareness, and I could see why people would use it as a feminist anthem. I don’t care what age you are — whether you’re 16 or 116 — there’s nothing more wonderful than standing on the stage and shaking your finger and singing, ‘Don’t tell me what to do.’
After her early commercial success Gore went on to get a degree in English and American literature at Sarah Lawrence, telling an interviewer at the time “it would be very foolish of me to leave school to go into such an unpredictable field on a full-time basis.” After graduating in 1968, she performed occasional shows and appeared in movies and on television, even playing Catwoman sidekick Pink Pussycat in the Adam West Batman series.
Although Gore didn’t write her early hits, she eventually found success as a songwriter as well, penning many of her tunes for the 1975 album “Love Me by Name” and writing the track “Out Here on My Own” for the 1980 Fame movie. She also continued to work in television, hosting the GLAAD-award-winning PBS LGBTQ series In the Life. (Gore came out as gay in 2005.)
In recent years, Gore had been working on a memoir and a Broadway show as well as supporting a feminist get-out-the-vote campaign for the 2012 election.
“You Don’t Own Me” PSA -Official from You Don’t Own Me on Vimeo.
(via The New York Times)
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