Singer of “I Kissed a Girl” dies at 66, with cause of death disclosed

Jill Sobule, the singer best known for her groundbreaking 1995 single I Kissed A Girl, has died at 66.

Sobule tragically perished in a house fire in Minneapolis early on Thursday morning, according to Variety.

Firefighters received a call around 5:30 a.m. on Thursday about a fire in Woodbury, Minnesota, according to local news reports.

When first responders arrived at the scene, the home was already in flames. The cause of the blaze, which is currently under investigation, remains unknown.

Jill Sobule, famous for her song I Kissed A Girl in 1995 and its success on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, achieved a milestone as the top openly LGBTQ-themed song on the Billboard charts at that time.

Although her fame ebbed over time, she continued to regularly record and release new music in recent years.

The singer Jill Sobule, renowned for her hit single I Kissed A Girl in 1995, passed away at the age of 66. She tragically lost her life in a house fire in Minneapolis early on Thursday morning, as reported by Variety. The image shows her in March 2023 in Beverly Hills.

Sobule’s song I Kissed A Girl reached number 20 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks in 1995, making it the first openly LGBTQ-themed song to reach hit status; Sobule is pictured in the song’s video

The performer had been scheduled to appear at Swallow Hill Music’s Tuft Theater in Denver, Colorado — her birthplace — on Friday.

Sobule was slated to perform a show of music from her recent autobiographical musical F*** 7th Grade, along with other tunes, but the event will reportedly now be an informal memorial hosted by 105.5 FM host Ron Bostwick, a friend of the late singer.

Her representative added that a more formal memorial to her life and work will be held this summer.

Sobule’s manager, John Porter, said in a statement to Variety: ‘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,’ he continued. ‘I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others.’

Sobule’s longtime attorney, Ken Hertz, also paid tribute to her in a statement.

‘Jill wasn’t just a client. She was family to us. She showed up for every birth, every birthday, and every holiday,’ he said. ‘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.’

Beginning with her 1990 debut, Things Here Are Different, Sobule released an impressive 10 studio albums and two live albums.

Firefighters got a call around 5:30 a.m. on Thursday about a fire in Woodbury, Minnesota, according to local news reports. The fire, whose cause is unknown, had engulfed the home when first responders arrived and is now being investigated; seen in 1995 in Minneapolis

Beginning with her 1990 debut, Things Here Are Different, Sobule released an impressive 10 studio albums and two live albums; seen January 20 in LA

She was also featured in a 2003 concert film and released a greatest-hits compilation in 2001, along with several EPs in the 2000s and early 2010s. 

Sobule had multiple projects in the works, included an original cast recording of F*** 7th Grade, which is scheduled for a June 6 release. 

The acclaimed show was a hit with critics and was named a New York Times Critic Pick before selling out multiple extensions of its original off-Broadway run in 2022.

The show, which featured the singer performing a mix of new and old songs, was nominated for a Drama Desk award.

F*** 7th Grade’s original cast album will be released alongside a 30th anniversary reissue of her self-titled sophomore album.

The original album featured I Kissed A Girl, and subsequent reissues have included her single Supermodel, which was originally featured on the Clueless soundtrack.

The song — which Sobule didn’t write, unlike I Kissed A Girl — was released as the third single from the hit Alicia Silverstone–starring film’s soundtrack in August 1995.

But unlike her earlier success that year, Supermodel failed to chart in the US, which though it had modest chart success in Australia. 

Sobule’s performance for Friday in Denver has been converted into an informal memorial. She was set to release the recording of her autobiographical musical F*** 7th Grade and a 30th anniversary reissue of her self-titled sophomore album on June 6; pictured in 1983

Sobule — who identified as bisexual — wasn’t afraid to touch hot-button issues in her songs, which made the prospect of strong chart showings difficult after her initial successes in the mid-’90s. 

However, she maintained a devoted fan base all throughout her career, and it was thanks to them that she was able to crowdfund the recording of her 2009 LP California Years, even though that funding model was still in its infancy.

She returned to crowdfunding to finance her 2018 album Nostalgia Kills, which was her last studio album released before her death.

Aside form her work on record, she also contributed the theme song to the Nickelodeon sitcom Unfabulous, which aired from 2004–2007 and starred a young Emma Roberts. 

Sobule is survived by her brother James Sobule and his wife Mary Ellen, as well as by her nephews, Ian Matthew, Robert and his wife Irina.