Jill Sobule, the trailblazing singer-songwriter behind the 1995 hit ”I Kissed a Girl” has tragically died at age 66.
Sobule passed away in a house fire on the morning of May 1, 2025, at her home in Woodbury, Minnesota.
Devastating house fire
Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter who made waves with her bold 1995 anthem “I Kissed a Girl” long before it was cool to do so, has died.
She was 66, according to Rolling Stone.
According to her publicity firm, Sobule passed away early Thursday morning, May 1, in a devastating house fire at her home in Woodbury, Minnesota. The Star Tribune reported that police in Woodbury are looking into the cause of the fire at the house where Sobule was discovered.
Sobule’s passing comes just weeks ahead of the scheduled release of two upcoming projects, including a 30th anniversary reissue of her breakthrough self-titled Atlantic Records album.
Sometimes described as one of the most underrated and underappreciated talents of the 1990s, Sobule carved out a space in music that was as honest as it was fearless. Her career spanned over three decades, during which her music addressed powerful topics like the death penalty, anorexia, and LGBTQ+ rights.
The backstory of the iconic song
Born in Denver, Colorado, Jill Sobule was far more than just another name on the ’90s music scene—she was a fearless storyteller and cultural pioneer.
In 1990, she signed with MCA Records and released an album produced by the legendary Todd Rundgren. But when the record failed to take off, the label quickly lost interest. Sobule was left feeling abandoned and overlooked, spiraling into a difficult period marked by creative frustration and emotional exhaustion.
But she wasn’t done — not even close.
Her true breakthrough came in 1995 with the release of “I Kissed a Girl”—a cheeky, heartfelt track that pushed boundaries and opened doors. The song made history as the first openly LGBTQ-themed single to chart on the Billboard Top 20, peaking at No. 20 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Fabio in the video
”I Kissed A Girl” also became an MTV sensation, not just for its cheeky, tender portrayal of same-sex attraction, but for its unexpected pairing of playful irreverence with heartfelt emotion. The music video, featuring the handsome Italian heartthrob Fabio as Sobule’s oblivious boyfriend, became an iconic moment of the ’90s.
“I wanted to write about a first kiss. If I was going to do it with a boy, I’d be talking from a preteen or a 12-or 13-year-old point of view. With this, I could talk about it from any age, which I thought was really intriguing,” Sobule told Knight-Ridder Newspapers shortly after the song began gaining momentum.
That same year, Sobule became a part of pop culture history when her satirical single “Supermodel” was featured in the hit teen film Clueless, a moment that helped cement her place in the ’90s music scene.
“A force of nature”
Over the course of her three-decade career, Sobule released eight original studio albums, four EPs, and a greatest hits compilation. Her folk-pop sound was unmistakable — blending witty, character-driven storytelling with deeply heartfelt ballads. Critics often likened her style to the legendary singer-songwriters of the 1970s, but her lyrics had a distinctly modern bite.
In a statement, her longtime manager John Porter remembered Sobule as “a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture.” He added, “I hope her music, memory, and legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”
Sobule is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, as well as her nephews, cousins, and a close circle of friends, as reported by CNN.
Whether she was making fans laugh with irony-laced lyrics or making them cry with raw honesty, Jill Sobule was always unapologetically herself — and in doing so, gave others the courage to be, too. RIP!
