What was supposed to be a quiet early morning in Minnesota turned devastating with the tragic death of singer-songwriter Jill Sobule.
The artist, best known for her trailblazing 1995 hit I Kissed a Girl, died in a house fire in Woodbury, near Minneapolis, on Thursday morning at the age of 66.
Fire crews responded to a call around 5:30 a.m., but by the time they arrived, the home was already engulfed in flames.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and details remain limited.
For many fans, it’s an especially painful goodbye — Sobule had been preparing to return to her birthplace of Denver for a scheduled performance this week.
Remembering the Voice Behind I Kissed a Girl
Back in the mid-90s, Sobule made waves with her song I Kissed a Girl — a bold and honest anthem about same-sex attraction that climbed to number 20 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
It was a huge deal at the time, especially since openly LGBTQ-themed songs weren’t getting much mainstream attention.
The track helped position Sobule as a queer icon in music — long before it became more common for pop stars to speak openly about sexuality.
Her music mixed charm, wit, and a refusal to shy away from taboo topics, something that resonated deeply with her fans.
That Longstanding Katy Perry Feud
Years later, in 2008, Katy Perry released a song by the same name — I Kissed a Girl — and that sparked a bitter rift between the two artists.
At first, Sobule seemed to play it cool. In early interviews, she said she didn’t feel overly possessive about the title.
But that attitude shifted not long after. In a raw 2009 interview, Sobule let loose, criticizing Perry for what she felt was a shallow version of her original message.
She even accused Perry of co-opting the song’s name without acknowledging its significance or context.
It didn’t help that Perry had claimed she came up with the title “in a dream” — something Sobule called out, noting Perry was signed by the same exec who signed her years earlier.
A Lifelong Artist Who Never Stopped Creating
Even though mainstream fame faded, Sobule never stopped making music.
She continued recording, releasing albums, and exploring bold creative projects.
Most recently, she was set to perform music from her autobiographical musical F** 7th Grade* at Denver’s Swallow Hill Music on Friday — an event now expected to become an informal memorial hosted by longtime friend and radio host Ron Bostwick.
Her team confirmed that a more formal celebration of her life and work is being planned for this summer.
Tributes Pour In From Those Who Knew Her Best
John Porter, Sobule’s manager, spoke with heartbreak when reflecting on her death.
“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and a human rights advocate whose music is part of our cultural fabric,” he said. “I lost a client and a friend today.”
Her longtime attorney and friend Ken Hertz shared an even more personal remembrance: “She was family.
She performed at our daughter’s wedding and even streamed performances from our living room during the pandemic.”
That closeness, he said, is what made her passing feel even more devastating.
A Legacy of Courage, Humor, and Honesty in Song
Jill Sobule’s career began with her 1990 debut album Things Here Are Different.
From there, she went on to release ten studio albums and two live records.
She also dropped several EPs, contributed to film soundtracks, and appeared in a 2003 concert documentary.
She had just wrapped up work on the original cast recording of F** 7th Grade*, due out June 6.
The musical had been a surprise hit, earning critical acclaim and even a Drama Desk Award nomination.
Its mix of memoir, music, and humor helped introduce a new generation to her work.
Anniversary Releases Set to Keep Her Music Alive
Alongside the cast album release, fans can also expect a 30th-anniversary reissue of Sobule’s 1995 self-titled album — the one that originally featured I Kissed a Girl and her other well-known single Supermodel, which found a home on the Clueless movie soundtrack.
While Supermodel didn’t climb the U.S. charts, it did find modest success internationally, particularly in Australia.
Not Just a Musician — A Trailblazer in Her Own Right
Sobule’s songs often took on tough subjects with vulnerability and wit — whether she was singing about gender, identity, or politics.
That honesty may have made mainstream chart dominance more difficult, but it also earned her a fiercely loyal fanbase.
In the late 2000s, when crowdfunding was still a new concept, she used it to fund her 2009 album California Years.
Nearly a decade later, she turned to her fans again for Nostalgia Kills in 2018 — her final studio album before her passing.
Impact Beyond the Charts and the Stage
Beyond her albums, Sobule left her mark on television as well.
She composed the theme song for Nickelodeon’s Unfabulous, which ran from 2004 to 2007 and starred a young Emma Roberts.
Even in children’s TV, her unique musical voice found space to shine.
Sobule’s Final Chapter Leaves an Unfinished Song
At the time of her death, Jill Sobule was still fully immersed in her creative work, excited to perform and share her new projects.
Her music, though sometimes unconventional, gave voice to feelings and identities that were often left out of mainstream pop.
She is survived by her brother James and his wife Mary Ellen, along with her nephews Ian Matthew and Robert and his wife Irina.
But beyond her immediate family, Jill Sobule leaves behind generations of fans who saw themselves in her lyrics and admired her unapologetic honesty.
