Photo Credit: Jill Sobule for Uncensored Interview / CC by 2.0
Jill Sobule, whose 1995 song “I Kissed a Girl” is widely known as the first openly gay track to hit the Billboard Top 20, has died in a house fire. She was 66.
Singer-songwriter and activist Jill Sobule was best known for her 1995 track “I Kissed a Girl,” widely considered the first openly gay-themed song to hit the Billboard Top 20. The 66-year-old Sobule died in a Minneapolis house fire on Thursday morning.
Sobule was scheduled to perform in her hometown of Denver tonight at Swallow Hill Music’s Tuft Theatre. Instead, there will be an informal gathering hosted by her friend Ron Bostwick from 105.5 FM. A formal memorial celebrating her life will take place this summer, according to her rep.
Her diverse career featured songs like “I Kissed a Girl” and “Supermodel,” which featured on the soundtrack to the film Clueless, and the Drama Desk-nominated autobiographical musical, “Fuck 7th Grade.” That show has enjoyed four theatrical runs in three years, with the original cast recording set to be released on June 6.
Born in 1959 in Denver, Sobule released her debut album, Things Here Are Different, produced by Todd Rundgren, in 1990. She recorded a second album with British singer Joe Jackson, but it was not released. In 1995, she signed with Atlantic, but in the years that followed, she has released music on independent labels while working on television and theatrical projects.
“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture,” said her manager, John Porter. “I was having so much fun working with her. I lost a client and a friend today and hope her music, memory, and legacy continue to live on and inspired others.”
“Jill wasn’t just a client. She was family to us,” added her longtime attorney, Ken Hertz. “[Jill] 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.”
In 2008, Sobule became a pioneer of releasing albums via crowdfunding. In less than two months, she reached her $75,000 goal with over 500 donations, releasing the album California Years in 2009. Ten years later, she utilized crowdfunding to release her Nostalgia Kills album.
