Singer-songwriter Jill Sobule, trailblazing queer icon, dead in Woodbury house fire, publicist confirms
Award-winning singer-songwriter Jill Sobule died in a house fire early Thursday morning in Woodbury, Minnesota, her publicist has confirmed.
Sobble's publicist, David Elkin, confirmed she had died in the fire in an email Thursday afternoon. The performer, who was born in Colorado, was 66.
During her more than three decades of recording, Sobule released 12 albums that addressed such complex topics as the death penalty, anorexia nervosa, reproduction and LGBTQ+ issues.
"You didn't have to work with her for very long before she brought you into her friend circle, which was a delightful circle to be a part of," Sobule's agent Craig Grossman said. "Jill was not only an incredibly talented and groundbreaking artist, she was fun, very funny and full of adventure."
Woodbury Patrol Commander Tom Ehrenberg says crews were called at about 5:30 a.m. to a residence off Pinehurst Road and Duckwood Trail, where they found the home fully engulfed in flames.
One of the residents made it out but said another person was still inside. Firefighters eventually found the body of a woman in her 60s, Ehrenberg said.
Several agencies, including fire departments from nearby Lake Elmo, Cottage Grove and Maplewood, assisted Woodbury crews at the scene.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Sobule's career included the offbeat LGBTQ+ hit "I Kissed a Girl"
She received widespread attention in the 1990s for her hit singles, "Supermodel," from the movie "Clueless," and "I Kissed A Girl," which, despite being banned on several southern radio stations, made it into the Billboard Top 20.
Sobule also starred in an autobiographical off-Broadway musical that premiered at the Wild Project in New York in 2022 and includes songs and stories about her life.
"Jill Sobule wasn't just a trailblazer in music — she was a beacon for queer artists," GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. "Long before it was safe or common, Jill was writing and singing about sexuality and identity with raw honesty and wit. At a time when doing so could have cost her everything, she chose truth. That courage helped pave the way for today's artists like Brandi Carlile, Tegan and Sara, Lil Nas X, Sam Smith, Adam Lambert, and so many others who now stand proud and open in their music."
Sobule was scheduled to perform in Denver on Friday night. Instead, there will be an informal gathering hosted by her friend Ron Bostwick from 105.5 The Colorado Sound at the performance space where attendees can "share a story or song," according to her publicist.
A formal memorial to celebrate her life and legacy will be held later this summer.
