The American singer/songwriter and out Lesley Gore who has just died aged 68 will always be very fondly remembered for her big hits in the 1960s, which became some of the very first ‘gay anthems’.
Her infectious and popular songs that made her a worldwide success included “It’s My Party (I Can Cry If Of I Want Too)” recorded when she was just 16-years-old, and “It’s Judy’s Turn to Cry”, and “You Don’t Own Me” all had the most campest lyrics ever. In 1965, she appeared in the beach party beach party film ‘The Girls on The Beach’ in which she performed three songs: Leave Me Alone, It’s Gotta Be You and I Don’t Want to Be a Loser.
Lesley Gore composed songs for the 1980 movie Fame for which she received an Academy Award Nomination, and she recorded her last album in 2005 entitled Ever Since. An out lesbian, who had been with her partner Lpis Sasson a jeweller designer for 33 years, Ms Gore also hosted the PBS TV series In The Life which focused ion LGBT matters in 2004.
Lesley Gore (born Lesley Sue Goldstein,[ May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015)
