Photo: Jill Sobule (Gord’s Gold) | By Jem Aswad, Variety | Jill Sobule, Singer-Songwriter of Groundbreaking 1995 Song ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ Dies in House Fire | Jill Sobule, the groundbreaking singer-songwriter and activist whose 1995 song “I Kissed a Girl” is widely considered the first openly gay-themed song to crack the Billboard Top 20, died in a Minneapolis house fire early Thursday morning, her rep confirmed. She was 66. Sobule’s unusually diverse three-decade/12-album career included that song as well as “Supermodel” from the film “Clueless” and, more recently, the Drama Desk-nominated autobiographical musical “Fuck 7th Grade,” which enjoyed four theatrical runs in three years. The original cast recording of the show is set to be released on June 6, alongside a special 30th anniversary reissue of her self-titled album, which features “I Kissed a Girl” and “Supermodel.”
She was scheduled to perform in her native Denver [on May 2nd] at Swallow Hill Music’s Tuft Theater, “Jill Sobule presents: Songs From F*ck 7th Grade & More”; instead there will be an informal gathering hosted by her friend Ron Bostwick from 105.5 FM.
Her manager, John Porter, said in a statement: “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 and a friend today. I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”
Ken Hertz, her longtime attorney, said, “Jill wasn’t just a client. She was family to us. She showed up for every birth, every birthday, and every holiday. She performed at our daughter’s wedding, and I was her ‘tech’ when she performed by Zoom from our living room (while living with us) during the pandemic.”
Born in Denver in 1959, Sobule released her Todd Rundgren-produced debut album, “Things Here Are Different,” in 1990; . . .
In 2008 she became a pioneer of using crowdfunding to release albums, offering patrons everything from a free download along with the physical copy of the album (for $10) to the opportunity to sing on the record ($10,000). In less than two months she had reached her $75,000 target goal, via more than 500 donations, and released the album, “California Years,” in 2009 on her Pinko Records label. She used crowdfunding again a decade later for her “Nostalgia Kills” album.
A formal memorial celebrating her life and legacy will take place during the summer, her rep said.
She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobule, and her nephews, Ian Matthew and Robert and Robert’s wife Irina.
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Read the full article here:
https://variety.com/2025/music/news/jill-sobule-i-kissed-a-girl-dead-1236384525/
[COMBO Editor’s note: Jill was a regular attendee and performer at the Durango Songwriters Expo (held in Broomfield in the fall) and she was such a delight! She promised to speak at a COMBO meeting but we were never able to work out a date. She will truly be missed. Rest in Paradise, Jill.] [Research said the Jill was staying at the house of a friend before her flight out to Denver. She was not in her own home.]
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Denver Legend Jill Sobule Talks Nuggets Fandom and JD Vance Before Homecoming Show
By Justin Criado, Westword | Jill Sobule passed away on May 1; the concert at Swallow Hill Music will now be an informal gathering to celebrate her life.
Jill Sobule is locked in for the current Denver Nuggets playoff run.
The self-proclaimed “fanatic” makes it a point to stay up to date with the team she grew up cheering for, no matter where she is. And as a busy touring musician, that includes getting updates while on stage, if necessary.
“I was playing a show somewhere in New York during the championship run two years ago, and there was a game, so I said to the audience, ‘I don’t like people on their phones, but after my song, would you guys tell me the score?’” she recalls. “So instead of people clapping for my songs, they’d cheer or jeer, depending on the score.
“I have priorities,” Sobule quips.
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Read more of Justin’s report here:
(I know what you’re thinking: No, Katy Perry did not cover Sobule’s song, but used the same title for her own 2008 breakthrough tune.)
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https://www.westword.com/music/denver-jill-sobule-show-marks-a-homecoming-24372658?
Gord’s Gold – Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=942154934594448&set=t.100044343048225&type=3
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From the DSE:
Hi everyone,
[Last night] we lost our great friend Jill Sobule, who passed away tragically in a house fire in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
We don’t know any details yet, but suffice to say it’s a huge loss – not only for Durango, but indeed the entire music community. Jill was a brilliant songwriter and an even better person.
The Durango community could always count on Jill; she was always there when we needed her. And what a true blessing it was to see her perform at our Expos.
She was totally unique and unwaveringly true to her convictions. I know of no other artist who could write songs about Mexican Wrestlers, jet planes, and unapologetically “kissing a girl”…and pull it all together in such a poignant and oftentimes hysterically humorous way. She made you laugh, she made you think, and at the end of each song you felt like you’d learned something – all while being wildly entertained.
We will miss Jill, she’ll always be in our thoughts, and there’ll for damn sure never be another one like her. Rest in peace, our beloved Jill.
Our best wishes to you all,
Jim, Vince, Jolene, Aaron, Jonathon, and the entire Expo staff
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OTHER NOTABLE MUSICIANS’ DEATHS
Warning Signs of Suicide – National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or if you want to discuss, call the old numbers at 800-273-TALK or 800-273-8255 for English and 888-628-9454 for Spanish. Learn the signs of someone who may be contemplating suicide.
If you want to know more about any of the musicians we lost, please check them out at http://www.wikipedia.com
MAY
6: Luigi Lopez, 77, Italian singer and composer; Vakhtang Machavariani, 74, Georgian composer and conductor.
5: May Abrahamse, 94, South African soprano (Eoan Group); James Baker, 71, Australian rock drummer (The Scientists, Beasts of Bourbon, The Dubrovniks); Nathan Jerde, American drummer (The Ponys); Squire Parsons, 77, American Southern gospel singer-songwriter, heart attack; WifiSkeleton, 21, American rapper, singer and songwriter.
2: Karel Bláha, 77, Czech singer.
1: Victor Aviat, 42, French oboist and conductor, brain tumor; Nana Caymmi, 84, Brazilian singer, multiple organ failure; Jill Sobule, 66, American singer-songwriter (“I Kissed a Girl”, “Supermodel”), house fire.
APRIL
30: Kari Løvaas, 85, Norwegian opera singer; Karel Paukert, 90, Czech-born American organist, choir director and educator; Joe Louis Walker, 75, American blues musician.
29: Christfried Schmidt, 92, German composer and arranger.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2025
Photo: Jill Sobule | Gord’s Gold – Facebook