Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter behind the 1995 classic track “I Kissed A Girl,” passed away in the early morning hours of May 1 while caught in a house fire. Sobule was 66 years old.

“I Kissed A Girl” made chart history back in the 90s for being the first openly-queer oriented song to land on the Billboard Top 20 list. Sobule’s self-titled sophomore album marked a turning point in her musical career, spawning two hit tracks, the aforementioned “I Kissed A Girl” and “Supermodel.” The latter was prominently featured in the classic Alicia Silverstone-starring rom-com Clueless.

Sobule’s manager, John Porter, spoke on her passing, offering, “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 & a friend today. I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”

Sobule was scheduled to play at Swallow Hill Music’s Tuft Theater in Denver, Colorado on May 2. That venue will now open its doors to an “informal gathering” in her memory which will be hosted by 105.5 The Colorado Sound’s Ron Bostwick.

The show was originally set to feature performances from Sobule’s autobiographical musical Fuck 7th Grade which first premiered back in 2022 at New York City’s Wild Project Theater. A recording of the show is set to accompany a vinyl reissue of her self-titled album in its June 6 release later this year.

Prior to her passing, Sobule commented on the difficulties of touring, explaining that she had developed sciatica in an Instagram post published on April 29.

 

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