Jill Sobule Passes Away
Acclaimed singer-songwriter was 66
Jill Sobule, the acclaimed singer-songwriter and fierce human rights activist, has passed away. She was 66.
Sobule, who made history with her 1995 single “I Kissed a Girl” as the first openly gay-themed song ever to crack the Billboard Top 20, lost her life in a house fire early this morning.
She’s been receiving universal acclaim for her latest project, the autobiographical coming-of-age musical F*ck 7th Grade, which received a New York Times Critic’s pick and a Drama Desk nomination.
After premiering at New York City’s Wild Project Theater in 2022, the show was rebooted in the Winter of 2023 and again in 2024 (in total it enjoyed four runs, in three years). The original cast recording of the show is set to be released on June 6, alongside a special 30th anniversary red vinyl reissue of her landmark self-titled album, featuring both “I Kissed a Girl” and the alt-rock anthem “Supermodel” featured in the film Clueless.
VIDEO: Jill Sobule “I Kissed A Girl”
Over the course of three decades and a dozen albums, the Denver-born Sobule never shied away from any topic, be it the death penalty, anorexia nervosa, shoplifting, reproduction, the French Resistance, adolescent malaise, intolerance or the MAGA movement. Whatever she wrote about, she did so with a biting wit and dark sense of humor that made her stand out from her counterparts in alt-rock.
“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture,” said Jill’s manager John Porter. “I was having so much fun working with her. I lost a client & a friend today. I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”
Jill’s booking agent, Craig Grossman, noted: “I was fortunate enough to get to know Jill beyond a professional relationship. No one made me laugh more. Her spirit and energy shall be greatly missed within the music community and beyond.”
Ken Hertz, Jill’s attorney for decades, added: “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.”
VIDEO: Jill Sobule “Living Color”
Tomorrow night (5.2) in Denver at Swallow Hill Music’s Tuft Theater (71 E. Yale Ave., 80120), where Jill was scheduled to perform her “Jill Sobule presents: Songs From F*ck 7th Grade & More” show that very evening, there will be an informal gathering hosted by Ron Bostwick from 105.5 The Colorado Sound (who were presenting two of the three CO shows this weekend). He was also a friend. Folks are encouraged to join their fellow Jill friends & fans to share a story or song.
There will be a formal memorial celebrating her life and legacy later this Summer.
She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobule, and her beloved nephews, Ian Matthew and Robert and Robert’s wife Irina. She is also survived by numerous cousins and countless friends.
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