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Jill Sobule, Singer of Iconic Songs ‘I Kissed a Girl’ and ‘Supermodel,’ Dead at 66 in House Fire
The music industry is mourning the tragic loss of Jill Sobule, the American singer-songwriter best known for her groundbreaking 1995 hit “I Kissed a Girl” and the cult-classic “Supermodel” from the Clueless soundtrack. Sobule died at age 66 in a house fire, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most distinctive and fearless voices in contemporary American music.
A pioneer among singer-songwriters, Sobule’s career spanned over three decades, effortlessly blending folk-rock, pop music, and country-music with a sharp lyrical wit and emotional confessional style. She was known for her melodic sensibility, poignant ballads, and her commitment to social-justice issues—particularly LGBTQ advocacy, long before it was commonplace in popular-music.
From the Brill Building to Billboard
Jill Sobule’s place in the lineage of great songwriters is undeniable. Much like the iconic Brill Building composers of the 1960s, Sobule crafted songs that were at once catchy and meaningful. Her work landed on the Billboard Hot 100, with “I Kissed a Girl” predating Katy Perry’s song of the same name by more than a decade. Despite some public confusion between the two, Sobule’s version stood out as a tender exploration of identity, long before K-pop, EDM, or hip-hop dominated the charts.
Sobule’s music, often filled with unexpected chords, layered melody, and clever rhymes, was hard to categorize. She moved freely between genres, collaborating with everyone from punk icons to folk-music veterans. Her style could go from funk to country song, from acoustic roots-music to full-blown dance-music. She was part of a small but mighty cohort of female performers redefining what it meant to be a pop singer and American folk artist in the post-Motown, post-disco world.
A Folk-Singer with a Rock & Roll Heart
Raised in Denver, Colorado, Jill grew up during the seventies, surrounded by the sounds of rock-and-roll, bluegrass, and American folk music. She taught herself to play the guitar and was drawn to the emotional depth of singer-songwriters like Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, and Bob Dylan. Yet her idols also included the likes of Paul McCartney, The Beatles, and Elvis, blending her love for lyric-driven music with the infectious energy of rock music.
Her debut album in the early 1990s laid the groundwork for what would become a rich catalog of original songs, filled with lyrical storytelling and an ear for melody that rivaled the best composers of her time. Her breakout came when MTV placed “Supermodel” on heavy rotation. Suddenly, Jill Sobule was a pop star, but she never fit the mold.
Unlike more mainstream counterparts like Rihanna, Cardi B, or Drake, Sobule was always an activist at heart. Her songs explored civil rights, violence against women, and the lives of the marginalized. In “Heroes,” she paid tribute to little-known historical figures and grassroots organizers. In others, she gently mocked fame, fashion, and false values, while championing empathy and inclusion.
An Independent Spirit in a Commercial World
Though she was once signed to major publishers and had music on platforms like Apple Music, Sobule eventually turned to fan-funded projects and concert series to release new music. She believed in free music for those who couldn’t afford it and often gave songs away in playlists or at intimate performances in venues ranging from churches to music festivals.
Known as a “Unitarian punk poet” by some fans, Sobule never won a Grammy, though her work was shortlisted by ASCAP and she was a finalist for Song of the Year by several indie music awards platforms. Her rejection of the commercial music business was part of what made her so beloved to her core audience, which included many aspiring songwriters, young duo acts, and queer composers inspired by her bravery and authenticity.
Collaborations, Confessions, and Cultural Moments
Sobule worked with a wide array of artists—from Tom Petty and Kurt Cobain (with whom she shared a stage once) to Nicki Minaj (who sampled one of her lesser-known compositions in a mixtape). She also wrote songs with Timbaland and performed live with Ed Sheeran and Gaga, proving her reach extended across decades, from the fifties to today’s most current pop charts.
Yet it was her intimate storytelling and fearless vulnerability that made her songs stick. They were songs about heartbreak, songs by outsiders, and songs to heal by. Whether writing about adolescent insecurity, broken relationships, or political injustice, Sobule always managed to craft a great song from life’s messy corners. Her work was both personal and political—confessional without being indulgent, and poetic without ever sacrificing a good chorus.
A Legacy Beyond Music
Sobule’s influence reached far beyond just the music scene. She was a poet, a composer, an idol to many in the LGBTQ community, and a mentor to music artists of all stripes. She taught young people how to write songs, encouraged them to find their voice, and often said her biggest joy wasn’t fame but the act “to sing truthfully.”
She was also a beloved figure in the world of music publishing, where she fought for royalty transparency and fair deals for composers, especially women and minorities. Many called her a quiet revolutionary, an artist who used her platform not for self-promotion but for advocating justice, revival of lost musical forms, and celebration of contemporary folk.
Remembering Jill Sobule
As fans create music-video montages and share memories on social media, tributes are pouring in from across the spectrum of genres: rapper Eminem cited her as a lyrical genius; Bieber called her “one of the truest music artists of our time”; and even Kanye posted a cryptic verse on X referencing “Jill’s fire-heart.”
Rolling Stone, Billboard, and dozens of other outlets are preparing retrospectives. Her songs are climbing back onto the Billboard charts, and her playlist numbers are spiking on Apple Music. Some are calling for a Grammy tribute, others for a festival in her name.
Though Jill Sobule is gone, her music from the heart lives on—in every folk song, pop song, or indie ballad written by a woman who once heard Jill on the radio and realized there was room in the world for honest, weird, brilliant women in music.