Denver, CO — Jill Sobule, the trailblazing singer-songwriter best known for her 1995 chart-toppers “I Kissed a Girl” and “Supermodel,” died early Thursday in a tragic house fire. She was 66.
The news was confirmed in a statement by Sobule’s publicity team, which said the fire occurred in the early morning hours. Additional details about the incident, including its cause, have not yet been released by local authorities.
Sobule, a Denver native, rose to prominence in the mid-1990s with music that combined catchy pop melodies with bold, socially conscious lyrics. Her single “I Kissed a Girl,” released in 1995—not to be confused with the 2008 Katy Perry track of the same name—was widely considered groundbreaking for its open LGBTQ+ themes. The song broke into the Billboard Top 20, making Sobule one of the first openly queer artists to gain mainstream radio play.
“She was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture,” said her longtime manager, John Porter, in a public statement. “We hope her music, memory, and legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”
Her follow-up hit “Supermodel,” also from her 1995 self-titled album, gained national attention after being featured on the soundtrack of the hit teen film Clueless. The song’s inclusion helped cement her place in the cultural zeitgeist of the decade.
Sobule’s music career spanned over 30 years and included collaborations with legendary artists such as Neil Young, Cyndi Lauper, and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello. Her debut album, Things Here Are Different (1990), produced by Todd Rundgren, included the standout track “Too Cool to Fall in Love.”
Over the course of her career, she released 12 albums covering a wide range of social and political issues, including LGBTQ+ rights, the death penalty, and body image. Her final studio album, Nostalgia Kills, was released in 2018. In a reflective interview that year, she told Billboard, “I started loving music again — loving listening, loving writing and the original spirit of why I did this in the first place.”
Despite taking a long hiatus from recording, Sobule never stopped performing. According to her official website, she had several upcoming tour dates scheduled across the U.S., beginning this weekend in her home state of Colorado.
A memorial service is being planned for later this year to honor her life and legacy.
Sobule is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, her nephews, cousins, and many close friends.
This is a developing story. Check back with the United States Morning Post for updates.