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Jill Sobule Dies at Age 66 in a House Fire

The singer/songwriter and human rights activist broke barriers with her 1995 single "I Kissed a Girl."

Jill Sobule performing at Bowery Ballroom on Thursday night, March 16, 2000.

Jill Sobule performing at Bowery Ballroom on Thursday night, March 16, 2000.

Hiroyuki Ito/Getty Images

Jill Sobule, the acclaimed folk-pop singer and human rights activist, died in a reported house fire on Thursday (May 1). She was 66 years old.

The groundbreaking artist, who identified as bisexual, began her career with her 1990 debut album Things Here Are Different. Five years later, she broke out with her self-titled 1995 album and its hit single “I Kissed a Girl,” which peaked at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 20 of the Alternative Airplay chart (then known as Modern Rock Tracks). Meanwhile, the LP’s other big single, “Supermodel,” was included on the soundtrack to Clueless.


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Other albums in Sobule’s discography include 1997’s Happy Town, 2000’s Pink Pearl, 2004’s The Folk Years 2003-2003 and Underdog Victorious, 2008’s Jill Sobule Sings Prozac and the Platypus, 2014’s Dottie’s Charms and 2018’s Nostalgia Kills. The singer-songwriter was an early proponent of crowdfunding, with her 2009 album California Years entirely financed via donations from fans.

Sobule’s most recent project prior to her death was her autobiographical musical F*ck 7th Grade, which earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for outstanding musical in 2023 and is set to release an original cast recording on June 6 alongside a special 30th-anniversary vinyl reissue of Jill Sobule.

“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture…I lost a client and a friend today,” the singer’s manager, John Porter, shared in a statement. “I hope her music, memory and legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”

According to a release, a formal memorial honoring Sobule’s life and legacy will be planned for later this summer.

This article was first published by Billboard U.S.

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Mo Chara of Kneecap performs onstage during the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 11, 2025 in Indio, California.
Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

Mo Chara of Kneecap performs onstage during the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 11, 2025 in Indio, California.

Rb Hip Hop

Kneecap Respond to Terror Offense Charge: ‘This is a Carnival of Distraction’

Mo Chara is due in court on June 18 in London in relation to the charge.

Kneecap has responded to a member of the group being charged with a terrorism offense by London’s Metropolitan Police.

Mo Chara of the Irish-language hip-hop group was investigated and subsequently charged for allegedly showing support for militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah in historic videos. Both are proscribed as terror groups according to U.K. law, and considered an offense under the Terrorism Act 2000. Mo Chara, born Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18.

This article was first published by Billboard U.S.

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