Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing first attracted widespread consideration with the gay-themed track “I Kissed a Girl,” died in a home fireplace Thursday. She was 66.
Her loss of life was confirmed by her publicist, David Elkin, in an e-mail Thursday afternoon. It was not instantly clear how the hearth in Woodbury, Minnesota, began.
“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture,” John Porter, her supervisor, stated in an announcement. “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.”
Throughout her greater than three a long time of recording, Sobule launched 12 albums that addressed such advanced subjects because the loss of life penalty, anorexia nervosa, copy and LGBTQ+ points.
Her first album, “Things Here Are Different,” was launched in 1990. 5 years later, she acquired widespread consideration for her hit singles, “Supermodel,” from the film “Clueless,” and “I Kissed A Lady,” which, regardless of being banned on a number of southern radio stations, made it into the Billboard High 20.
She additionally starred in an autobiographical off-Broadway musical that originally premiered on the Wild Undertaking in New York in 2022 and consists of songs and tales about her life.
Sobule was recognized for taking management of her profession by fundraising so she may make her subsequent album. In 2008, after two main file firms dumped her and two indie labels went bankrupt beneath her, she raised tens of 1000’s of {dollars} from followers so she may make a brand new album.
“The old kind of paradigm, where you’ve always waited for other people to do things, you’d have your manager and your agent,” she stated on the time. “You’d wait for the big record company to give you money to do things and they tell you what to do. This is so great. I want to do everything like this.”
Sobule was scheduled to carry out in Denver on Friday night time. As a substitute, there will likely be a casual gathering hosted by her buddy Ron Bostwick from 105.5 The Colorado Sound on the efficiency area the place attendees can “share a narrative or track,” in response to her publicist.
A proper memorial to have a good time her life and legacy will likely be held later this summer time.
“No one made me laugh more. Her spirit and energy shall be greatly missed within the music community and beyond,” Craig Grossman, her reserving agent, stated in an announcement.
Born in Denver, Colorado, on Jan. 16, 1959, she has described herself as a shy little one who most popular observing over collaborating.
Sobule was recognized for enjoying dozens of reveals a 12 months and has described her reside performances as weak experiences. She stated she typically doesn’t have a set listing and wings it.
She’s carried out with such icons as Neil Younger, Billy Bragg and Cyndi Lauper, and in addition inducted Neil Diamond into the Songwriter’s Corridor of Fame, in response to her web site. She additionally sang a track as herself on an episode of “The Simpsons” in 2019.
“In a good way, I feel like I’m still a rookie,” she told The Associated Press in 2023 in an interview about her musical. “There’s so much more to do and I haven’t done my best yet.”
She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobule, alongside together with her nephews and cousins.
