Singer-songwriter Jill Sobule has died in a house fire at age 66.
Sobule’s body was found on Thursday in a home in Woodbury, Minnesota.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the blaze.
Her manager, John Porter, confirmed the tragic news and paid tribute to her legacy in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter.
“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,” he said.
“I lost a client and a friend today. I hope her music, memory and legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”
Sobule rose to fame in the 1990s with her 1995 self-titled album, which featured two standout hits: Supermodel, which became was featured in Clueless, and I Kissed a Girl, a charting single that was one of the first openly LGBTQ-themed tracks to break into the Billboard Top 20, reaching No. 20 that year.
Although Katy Perry released a different song with the same title in 2008, Sobule’s I Kissed a Girl remains a landmark in queer pop history.
Speaking in interviews at the time, Sobule said she didn’t “feel precious about the title,” though she admitted enjoying comparisons that favoured her version.
Later, she subtly called out Perry for claiming to have dreamed up the idea, pointing out that Perry had worked with the same record executive who had signed Sobule in 1995.
She said in a 2008 interview: “In truth, she wrote it with a team of professional writers and was signed by the very same guy that signed me in 1995.
“I have not mentioned that in interviews as I don’t want to sound bitter or petty — ’cause, that’s not me.”
Sobule, originally from Denver, had continued performing and writing into her 60s.
Her website listed an upcoming hometown show to showcase material from her autobiographical stage musical Fck 7th Grade*, which was nominated for a Drama Desk Award in 2023.
Her twelve-album discography covered everything from intimate ballads to sharp social commentary, earning her devoted fans and lasting influence.
