Entertainment
Star ’90s Singer Passes Away In House Fire
An uncontrolled blaze that swept away a Minneapolis house last week claimed the life of a 1990s pop star whose meteoric hit single helped define the radio waves of her generation.
Jill Sobule, singer of the groundbreaking hit “I Kissed a Girl,” was the only victim in a house fire that sparked early Thursday morning. She was 66.
“I Kissed a Girl” is viewed within the music industry as the first openly gay anthem to make it big, landing in the Billboard Top 20 for a brief period.
The 1995 film “Clueless” also featured Sobule’s track “Supermodel,” which accompanied the travails of Alicia Silverstone’s spoiled rich character as she sought to parlay her excess into do-gooding for those around her.
The news came just one day before Sobule, who remained an active musician, was set to perform. She was readying her latest musical “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 NY Post reports.
Instead, the intimate concert was canceled, and the venue will now host a free gathering in the artist’s honor.
Friends of Sobule who confirmed news of the fire tell the outlet that a memorial gathering will be planned for later this summer, though further details weren’t immediately available.
Industry peers expressed their condolences online while sharing memories of the period in music that defined their lives.
“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.”
Across three decades, Sobule released 12 albums as well as the autobiographical musical “F–k 7th Grade,” which saw a four-theatrical run.
An original cast recording of the score is set to be released next month alongside Sobule’s eponymous first album, which included the hits “I Kissed a Girl” and “Supermodel,” as part of its 30th anniversary.
Born Jan. 16, 1959, Sobule grew up in Denver before signing her first record deal in 1995. She shot to modest fame overnight and connected with her fans through crowdfunding, a groundbreaking effort for an artist at that time.
The singer is survived by her brother, James, sister-in-law, Mary, and two nephews.
