Why did Jill Sobule get brain surgery? Health struggles explored as singer and activist dies aged 66

Jill Sobule passed away in the early hours of 1 May in a tragic house fire. The news of her death was confirmed by her publicist, David Elkin, who announced in a statement that the singer died in this incident in Minneapolis, according to the Los Angeles Times. In 2021, the singer had to undergo brain surgery because of the tremors in her hands.

Jill Sobule was not just a singer, but an activist who, from the very start of her career, had championed queer rights. Her death on Thursday comes at a time when she was on her "Jill Sobule Presents: Music From the Fck 7th Grade & More" tour and was scheduled to perform at a concert in Denver on 2 May. Her decades-long career was marred with health struggles, prompting Sobule to undergo brain surgery to treat her condition.

More about Jill Sobule's health struggles explored, as singer passes away

Jill Sobule was born on 16 January 1959 and grew up in Denver. Sobule, who was known for her hit 1995 single, "I Kissed a Girl," was not just unflinchingly open about her bisexuality but also about the several health issues she faced. In an interview with the New York Times, Sobule talked about how she used her autobiographical off-Broadway musical to connect with people through her story. She said:

"We wanted to make sure that the show wasn’t just for people interested in my career because most people could give a [expletive]. I’m not that famous. It’s kind of this universal story of a weirdo growing up.”

The "Supermodel" singer suffered from eating disorders in her early 20s. In a 2021 interview with Philadelphia Gay News, she talked about how the expectations of the music industry made her feel she had to look a certain way, which was one of the many factors that led to the development of eating disorders. She said that her anxiety and depression also stemmed from being told that she was "big and tubby."

According to the New York Times, the police are currently investigating the cause of the fire that led to Jill Sobule's death.

Jill Sobule had experienced tremors in her hands since an early age, which she earlier attributed to playing guitar. In a 2023 article she penned for Newsweek, Sobule wrote about how she had always felt the tremors but never gave them much attention. She wrote:

"Since my 20s, I had a tremor in my hands that I thought was caused by excess energy. It didn't bother me most of the time, but every once in a while, it would interfere with work, like when I waited tables and would spill drinks or the time I managed to slash open an artery in my wrist while serving bread at a fancy restaurant."

She further added:

"For several years, my neurologist prescribed medicine to help manage my tremors and it worked incredibly well, but as I learned, while essential tremor won't kill you, it is a progressive illness that will slowly get worse."

During the pandemic, Jill Sobule was unable to continue the medications prescribed by her neurologist, prompting her to find an alternate solution. She wrote:

"During the COVID pandemic, as I started performing online instead of in theaters, I realized that my hands were shaking even more than I realized. I couldn't take any more medications because the prescription drug I had been using lowers your blood pressure, which for me was naturally low. If I didn't find a new way of dealing with the tremors, I would eventually no longer be able to play my beloved guitar, something I have been doing since I was seven or eight years old."

It was then she was introduced to deep brain stimulation surgery, to treat the lifelong tremors in her hands. She said:

"So I returned to my neurologist and started asking about my options, including deep brain stimulation (DBS). I had heard about it in my research and wondered if I was a candidate for it. I knew it required brain surgery, but it seemed like it could be a good solution. DBS works by sending electrical impulses to a specific part of the brain and adjusts abnormal brain signals that were causing my tremor."

Jill Sobule further added:

"After several months of discussions, we decided to move ahead with the procedure with a device called the Infinity DBS system from Abbott. It was a recharge-free device, which would ensure I didn't lose power in the middle of a performance, and it came with an app called NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic that would allow my doctor to make remote adjustments to it even if I was in the middle of Madagascar."

The "Where is Bobby Gentry" singer added the complexity for the surgery noting that she had to be awake during the procedure and ended up playing guitar for the doctors who were operating on her.

Trending

"I had to be awake during the surgery, so I played guitar and sang to the doctor and nurses throughout the procedure. The device worked immediately, steadying my hands for the first time in decades."

Jill Sobule, who used her platform to raise awareness about her condition in hopes of helping others, was sixty-six years old at the time of her death and is survived by her brother, Wayne Kramer.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback