Music

'I Kissed a Girl,' 'Supermodel' singer Jill Sobule dead at 66

By Karen Butler   |   May 2, 2025 at 7:16 AM

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Jill Sobule has died in a Minnesota house fire at the age of 66. File Photo by Greg Grudt/UPI

May 2 (UPI) -- "I Kissed a Girl," "Living Color" and "Supermodel" singer-songwriter Jill Sobule has died at the age of 66.

Her agent, Craig Grossman, told TMZ that Sobule died Thursday in a house fire while visiting a friend in a suburb of St. Paul, Minn.

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"Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture," the musician's manager, John Porter, said in a statement to Deadline.com. "I was having so much fun working with her. I lost a client and a friend today. I hope her music, memory and legacy continue to live on and inspire others."

Her attorney, Ken Hertz, told Variety: "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."

Singer Tracy Chapman wrote on X: "We are deeply saddened to hear of the tragic passing of @jillsobule Let us listen to her music to honor the wonderful singer-songwriter she was. Our hearts go out to her family, friends and fans."

One of Sobule's last X posts was made on April 28 and celebrated Warren Zevon's upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"Warren made the Rock Hall of Fame. I sure adored him. And he was a mentor to me #warrenzevon," she wrote.

Sobule -- who released 12 albums over the course of three decades -- was scheduled to perform Friday night in her hometown of Denver, Colo.

She also was the creator of the autobiographical musical, F*** 7th Grade, and penned the theme song for the Nickelodeon series, Unfabulous.

Rolling Stone said "I Kissed a Girl" became the first openly gay song to rank in the Top 20 of Billboard's Modern Rock chart when it was released in 1995.

Sobule's representatives said a memorial is being planned for her this summer.