How old was Jill Sobule? "I Kissed a Girl" singer killed in house fire

Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter behind the 1995 hit "I Kissed a Girl," passed away on May 1, 2025, at the age of 66 in a house fire near Minneapolis. Her manager confirmed the news, and friends and fans are remembering her for both her music and her advocacy.

---

How the news came to light

Jill Sobule was found deceased in a fire that broke out early on May 1, 2025, at her home in Woodbury, Minnesota, a suburb east of Minneapolis–Saint Paul. Her manager, John Porter, issued a statement calling the loss "shocking and painful."

She added,

“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture. I lost a client & a friend today. I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others”.

Fire investigators are still determining the cause of the blaze, and no further details have been released at this time.

---

Her journey to wider recognition

Jill Sobule was born on January 16, 1959, in Denver, Colorado, where she began writing songs as a teenager. Her debut album, Things Here Are Different, was released in 1990 and produced by Todd Rundgren, marking her first step into the music industry.

She gained mainstream attention in 1995 with her self-titled second album and its single "I Kissed a Girl," one of the first pop hits to openly explore same-sex attraction; the song climbed into the Billboard Top 20. That same year, her song "Supermodel" was featured in the teen comedy Clueless, further broadening her audience.

---

Meaningful themes and later work

Throughout her over thirty-year career, Jill Sobule has released twelve studio albums, exploring social issues, personal experiences, and human rights. She identified as bisexual in 2002 and frequently included LGBTQ+ themes in her songs.

In a 2017 interview, she said,

“I remember having a crush on a girl in junior high school, but I still liked boys very much … If I would have heard a song like ‘I Kissed a Girl’ it would have made me feel better. Wouldn't it have made you feel better?”.

Jill Sobule was an early pioneer in crowdfunding, raising money directly from fans to produce albums such as California Years in 2009. In the theater world, she wrote and performed Fck 7th Grade*, an autobiographical musical that earned a Drama Desk Award nomination.

Its original cast recording is due on June 6, 2025. Reflecting on her own breakout track, she once noted,

“Even though that song felt like kind of a cross to bear at times, ‘I Kissed A Girl’ probably is my biggest success … because of what it did for people

---

Her legacy and plans for remembrance

Jill Sobule is survived by her brother, James; her sister-in-law, Mary Ellen; and her three nephews. Friends have organized an informal gathering in Denver on the date she was to perform, and a formal memorial is planned for later in summer 2025. Her clear-eyed lyrics and willingness to address challenging topics leave behind a legacy that resonates with many and sparks more honest conversations in pop music.

Her passing is felt throughout the music and theater communities, as well as among the LGBTQ+ advocates she supported. While details of the fire remain under review, Jill Sobule's songs and her own words continue to express her impact and spirit.