The fearless artist and activist, widely recognized for her boundary-pushing work, died just days before returning to the stage.
Jill Sobule, the pioneering singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1990s, died in a house fire early Thursday morning. She was 66.
Jill Sobule performs at the Concert For America 2025 in Studio City, California, on January 20, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
Her death occurred just ahead of a planned 2025 Colorado tour, with performances scheduled for May 2 in Denver and May 3 in Basalt. Sobule had planned to take the stage Thursday night at Swallow Hill Music’s Tuft Theater in Denver.
That venue will now host an informal gathering in her memory, led by Ron Bostwick of 105.5 The Colorado Sound. Her family and close collaborators are organizing a formal memorial service for later this summer.
Sobule is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobule; her nephews, Ian Matthew and Robert, and Robert’s wife, Irina. She also leaves behind numerous cousins and countless friends.
Ken Hertz, Sobule’s longtime attorney, reflected on their deep personal bond, noting that she was more than a client. He shared memories of her being present for family milestones and even living with them during the pandemic. “She was family to us,” he said.
Jill Sobule attends the 34th GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on March 30, 2023 | Source: Getty Images
“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture. 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,” said her manager, John Porter.
Her booking agent, Craig Grossman, said, “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.”
Jill Sobule performs at TEDMED in San Diego, California, on October 28, 2010 | Source: Getty Images
In the final days of her life, Sobule remained candid and humorous online. In a Facebook post shared at 1:25 a.m. on April 30, she revealed that she was struggling with sciatica while on tour and asked followers for recommendations for doctors and physical therapists in Los Angeles, where she planned to stay for a few weeks.
Despite the discomfort, she kept her tone light, ending the post with a cartoon.
Earlier that same morning, she reflected on her very first professional performance — a small set at a Holiday Inn in Denver decades ago. She recalled the nerves, the modest audience, and the sting of a harsh review from a local music critic. That memory returned after Westword, the outlet behind the original review, reached out for a new interview.
Sobule admitted feeling initial dread, but noted that the recent conversation was “delightful,” adding, “I finally made it.”
In the April 28 Westword profile, she also spoke warmly about returning to Denver, where she grew up. She described visiting her childhood neighborhood of Hilltop and performing an acoustic set of “F*ck 7th Grade” inside her former home.
Former classmates, including some she once called out in song, attended the show. “But it was so great. We’re all friends now,” she said. “It made me realize that everybody was just as miserable as I was.”
She also shared her continued love for the Denver Nuggets, calling herself a lifelong fan and recounting how she once paused a concert to get game score updates from the audience during the team’s 2023 championship run. “I have priorities,” she quipped.
More recently, she debuted a satirical political song while opening for The Fixx in March. She acknowledged it was not radio-friendly, but joked that its message got across clearly. The song gained traction with fans and was sometimes performed casually at her merch booth after shows.
That same sharp wit and willingness to tackle controversial subjects had been part of Sobule’s music from the beginning. She gained national attention in 1995 with her single “I Kissed a Girl,” the first openly gay-themed song to reach the Billboard Top 20. But her influence extended well beyond that cultural milestone.
Over a career spanning three decades and 12 albums, she used sharp humor and candid lyricism to explore themes such as the death penalty, anorexia, reproductive rights, intolerance, and political polarization.
Jill Sobule performs at a Bernie Sanders campaign rally at California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California, on May 17, 2016 | Source: Getty Images
Her work often balanced vulnerability with satire, establishing her as a singular voice in alternative music. She also built strong ties to activists and public figures, earning admiration from both grassroots communities and cultural icons.
Sobule’s most recent creative endeavor was the autobiographical musical “F*ck 7th Grade,” a New York Times Critic’s Pick and Drama Desk-nominated production. It premiered at New York City’s Wild Project Theater in 2022 and returned for multiple runs through 2024.
To honor both her recent and early work, her team will release the original cast recording of “F*ck 7th Grade” on June 6, 2025. That same day, they will also issue a 30th anniversary red vinyl reissue of her 1995 self-titled album, which features both “I Kissed a Girl” and “Supermodel,” the latter widely recognized from the film “Clueless.”
Long before crowdfunding became mainstream, Sobule found innovative ways to connect directly with fans to fund and distribute her work. A regular speaker and performer at TED conferences, she reshaped the artist-audience relationship in the digital age.
Looking back on her career, Sobule was open about the personal detours that shaped her creative output. In a 2018 interview with Billboard, she explained that nearly ten years passed because she kept putting things off. She also went through some difficult personal events, like the death of a parent, a breakup, and moving to a new place.
“I was my own procrastinatrix, is what I call it,” she said, meaning she blamed herself for the delay. But that time away from music helped her reconnect with why she started making it in the first place.
Jill Sobule performs live at City Winery in New York City on September 8, 2018 | Source: Getty Images
The result was her album Nostalgia Kills. She described it as “a book of short stories,” a collection of songs that reflect on her past. It was produced by Ben Lee and recorded in his Los Angeles home studio, with guest musicians like John Doe, Petra Haden, and Roger Joseph Manning Jr.
Even though the album looks back on her life, Sobule made it clear she didn’t want to get stuck in the past. As she put it, “Nostalgia kills. You’ve got to keep moving or die.”
One song, “I Don’t Wanna Wake Up,” looked ahead instead of back. She said it came from a creative moment while experimenting with music and mindset.
