Jill Sobule, the singer of the groundbreaking 1995 hit “I Kissed a Girl,” has tragically passed on.
The musician and songwriter d!ed in a Minneapolis, Minnesota, house fire early Thursday morning, May 1, at the age of 66.
She became a household name with “I Kissed a Girl,” which is widely viewed as the first openly gay-themed tune to make it into the Billboard Top 20.
She was also known for her song “Supermodel,” which was featured in the 1995 coming-of-age teen classic film “Clueless.”
The news of her de@th comes just one day before she was scheduled to perform.
Sobule was gearing up for “Jill Sobule presents: Songs From F–k 7th Grade & More” at Swallow Hill Music’s Tuft Theater in Denver, Colorado, on Friday, May 2.
The show has been canceled, per the theater’s website. An informal, free gathering will now take place in her honor.
No details about the fire have been released. A formal memorial celebrating her life is reportedly being planned for later this summer,
Several of Sobule’s colleagues have spoken out following the tragedy.
“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture. I was having so much fun working with her. I lost a client and a friend today. I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others,” the singer’s manager, John Porter, said in a statement.
Her longtime attorney, Ken Hertz, added, “Jill wasn’t just a client. She was family to us. She showed up for every birth, every birthday, and every holiday. She performed at our daughter’s wedding, and I was her ‘tech’ when she performed by Zoom from our living room (while living with us) during the pandemic.”
Sobule’s booking agent, Craig Grossman, noted, “I was fortunate enough to get to know Jill beyond a professional relationship. No one made me laugh more. Her spirit and energy shall be greatly missed within the music community and beyond.”
Sobule dropped 12 albums during her three-decades-long career.
Besides “I Kissed a Girl” and “Supermodel,” she was also behind the autobiographical musical “F–k 7th Grade,” which saw a four-theatrical run.
The Drama Desk-nominated project’s original cast recording is scheduled to be released next month, along with the reissue of Sobule’s self-titled album — featuring “I Kissed a Girl” and “Supermodel” — on its 30th anniversary.
Sobule created the theme song for Nickelodeon’s “Unfabulous,” too.
The singer is survived by her brother, James, sister-in-law, Mary, and two nephews.
