Jill Sobule Dies at Age 66 in a House Fire

Jill Sobule, the acclaimed folk-pop singer and human rights activist, died in a reported house fire in Woodbury, Minnesota, on Thursday (May 1). She was 66 years old.

The groundbreaking artist, who identified as bisexual, began her career with her 1990 debut album Things Here Are Different. The set sparked her first appearance on Billboard‘s charts as its single “Too Cool to Fall in Love” hit No. 17 on Adult Contemporary. Five years later, she broke out with her self-titled 1995 album and its hit single “I Kissed a Girl,” which peaked at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 20 of the Alternative Airplay chart (then known as Modern Rock Tracks). Meanwhile, the LP’s other big single, “Supermodel,” was included on the soundtrack to Clueless.

Sobule’s “I Kissed a Girl” was released 13 years before Katy Perry’s different song with the same title became a No. 1 smash in 2008.

Other albums in Sobule’s discography include 1997’s Happy Town, 2000’s Pink Pearl, 2004’s The Folk Years 2003-2003 and Underdog Victorious, 2008’s Jill Sobule Sings Prozac and the Platypus, 2014’s Dottie’s Charms and 2018’s Nostalgia Kills. The singer-songwriter was an early proponent of crowdfunding, with her 2009 album California Years entirely financed via donations from fans.

Sobule’s most recent project prior to her death was her autobiographical musical F*ck 7th Grade, which earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for outstanding musical in 2023 and is set to release an original cast recording on June 6 alongside a special 30th-anniversary vinyl reissue of Jill Sobule.

“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture…I lost a client and a friend today,” the singer’s manager, John Porter, shared in a statement. “I hope her music, memory and legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”

According to a release, a formal memorial honoring Sobule’s life and legacy will be planned for later this summer.