When Lois Sasson confirmed on February 16 that her longtime partner, Lesley Gore, a non-smoker, had died of lung cancer at the untimely age of 68, feminists, freedom fighters, humanitarians and Catwoman lovers of all stripes mourned the passing of an iconic ally and inspiration.
--Peter Rothberg, The Nation
"It's My Party" remains one of the most vivid evocations of adolescent heartbreak ever waxed--Quincy Jones produced the record, although you'd swear it was [Melrose Place producer] Aaron Spelling instead."
--AllMusic Critic Jason Ankeny
If you don't mind hearing it twice, here's a video Gore made of the song some 25 years later:
That looked like Mike Myers' Dr. Evil at the end, didn't it? I've checked and re-checked. The video is from 1989 (as if you couldn't tell that already from the clothes and the hair) and Evil didn't make his debut until 1997.
Now, I, or at least Peter Rothberg, promised you a freedom fighter:
Not exactly Che Guevara, but in that time and place...
You could savor every bitchy second of Lesley's triumph with her sequel "Judy's Turn to Cry".
--Music journalist Lillian Roxon
Now, the feminist:
Now, THAT'S Che Guevara (or Gloria Steinem.)
My take on the song was: I'm 17, what a wonderful thing, to stand up on a stage and shake your finger at people and sing you don't own me.
--Lesley Gore
Left unsaid is whether that was her middle finger that's she shaking (after all,the video was shot from the neck up.)
Now, for Catwoman lovers of all stripes:
Holy 45 rpm record, Batman!
The iconic alley and inspiration:
Afraid to go on American Idol? Hell, they've played her songs on that show!
Finally, the humanitarian:
Hey, she made people happy. What's more humanitarian than that?
