It's My Party singer Lesley Gore dies of cancer aged 68

'It's My Party' singer Lesley Gore has died of cancer at the age of 68, her partner of 33 years has revealed.

The American singer-songwriter, who topped the charts with her epic song, which included the lyrics 'I'll cry if I want to', went on to have a string of hits in the Sixties.

She followed her 1963 success up with "Judy's Turn to Cry" and "You Don't Own Me".

Gore's other hits include "She's A Fool," ''That's the Way Boys Are" and "Maybe I Know."

The Brooklyn-born singer, who was discovered by Quincy Jones as a teenager and signed to Mercury Records, died in a New York hospital on Monday.

Her jewellery designer partner Lois Sasson told The Associated Press: "She was a wonderful human being — caring, giving, a great feminist, great woman, great human being, great humanitarian."

In 2005, Gore released "Ever Since," her first album in 30 years, but told the New York Times that year it would be "stupid" not to play her biggest hit when she toured.

She had been working on a stage version of her life when she died.