The singer-songwriter known for her wit, queer pride, and fearless creativity dies tragically in a house fire at 66
Jill Sobule, the boundary-breaking singer best known for her '90s hits “I Kissed a Girl” and “Supermodel,” died Thursday morning in a tragic house fire in Woodbury, Minnesota. She was 66. Sobule had been staying with friends while preparing to perform songs from her one-woman musical Fck7thGrade* in Denver, her hometown. According to Woodbury’s Public Safety Department, firefighters responded to a house engulfed in flames around 5:30 a.m. They later found the body of a woman in her 60s inside. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
From Outcast to Icon: A Voice for the Misunderstood
Born in Denver, Sobule grew up feeling like an outsider — an experience she channeled into her deeply personal music and sharp humor. In interviews, she joked that her only queer role models as a kid were Miss Jane Hathaway from The Beverly Hillbillies and her gym teacher “who looked like Pete Rose.”
In eighth grade, Sobule’s guitar skills started to shine. She eventually left school to pursue music full time, launching a career in 1990 with her debut album Things Here Are Different. The single “Too Cool to Fall in Love” received modest airplay, but it was her 1995 self-titled album that changed everything.
Breaking Ground with “I Kissed a Girl” — Before It Was Cool
Sobule's “I Kissed a Girl” came at a time when it was risky to be openly queer in pop music. The song tells the honest, funny, and touching story of a woman discovering feelings for her female friend — and it hit the Billboard charts, years before Katy Perry’s track of the same name stirred up pop culture buzz.
Her second hit, “Supermodel,” became a feminist anthem after appearing on the Clueless soundtrack, blending rebellious rock with a cheeky takedown of beauty culture.
“People call me a one-hit wonder,” she told The New York Times in 2022. “And I say, ‘Wait a second, I’m a two-hit wonder!’”
More Than a Musician: A Fearless Storyteller
Sobule didn’t chase commercial trends. Her later work, though less mainstream, earned praise for its fearless themes — from Alzheimer’s and anorexia to celebrity culture and politics. As The Times wrote in 2000, “Ms. Sobule is an artist whose talent goes well beyond whom she kisses.”
Her musical Fck7thGrade* chronicled her painful middle school years, when she felt alienated, was called slurs, and developed crushes she didn’t yet understand. The show was aimed not just at fans, but anyone who ever felt like a misfit.
“I’m not that famous,” she told The Times with characteristic candor. “It’s kind of this universal story of a weirdo growing up.”
A Legacy of Authenticity and Advocacy
Beyond music, Sobule was a passionate advocate on issues ranging from the death penalty to LGBTQ+ rights. Her activism was never performative — it was deeply rooted in her art and identity.
“She literally created a path for queer people and women in music,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president of LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD.
A free, informal gathering will be held in Denver in her memory.
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