"It's My Party" singer-songwriter and activist Lesley Gore dies at 68

You've probably heard the classic teenage drama song "It's My Party" sung by 1960s teen idol Lesley Gore.

The single, produced by Quincy Jones, topped the Billboard charts in 1963.

The singer-songwriter also scored hits with "Judy's Turn to Cry", "She's a Fool", and "Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows".

But aside from several bubblegum-pop hits, her 1964 proto-feminist single "You Don't Own Me" foreshadowed her political activism later in life. The song was covered by Diane Keaton, Bette Midler, and Goldie Hawn for the 1996 First Wives Club soundtrack and used in a reproductive rights public-service announcement video in 2012.

She was nominated for an Oscar for co-writing "Out Here on my Own" for the soundtrack of the 1980s film Fame.

After she publicly came out as a lesbian, she hosted the PBS LGBT series In the Life.

She released her final album, Ever Since, in 2005.

She died at the age of 68 in New York City on February 16 due to lung cancer. She is survived by her partner of over 30 years, Lois Sasson.