Jill Sobule, the bisexual singer-songwriter behind ’90s hits like “Supermodel” and “I Kissed a Girl,” died Thursday morning in a house fire.

Her publicist confirmed her death at the age of 66 to the Associated Press.

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Go reports that Sobule had been staying with friends in Woodbury, Minnesota, while rehearsing for an upcoming performance of her one-woman show, F*ck 7th Grade, in her hometown of Denver, Colorado. According to the outlet, officials say firefighters arrived at the suburban home around 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning. The cause of the fire is under investigation.  

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Between 1990 and 2018, Sobule released 10 studio albums. Her self-titled 1995 sophomore record spawned her two biggest hits, “Supermodel,” which was included on the Clueless soundtrack, and the groundbreaking “I Kissed a Girl.” As the AP notes, the song reached No. 20 on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart despite being banned by some radio stations for its sapphic themes.

According to ABC News, “I Kissed a Girl” was the first explicitly queer song ever to crack the chart’s top 20.

Sobule also released five EPs, a 2001 best-of compilation, and three live albums over the course of her career, the most recent of which, The Many Aneeshes of Jill Sobule Live 1995-2025: Slap Happenin’ and Storytellin’, was released this year

She premiered F*ck 7th Grade, her “queer musical memoir” about her adolescence and brief rise to pop stardom, at New York City’s the Wild Project in 2022. The show received a 2023 Drama Desk Award nomination for outstanding musical and, according to Billboard, will see the release of an original cast recording next month alongside a 30th anniversary vinyl edition of her breakthrough 1995 album, Jill Sobule.

A statement announcing her death noted that Sobule’s songs tackled issues such as “the death penalty, anorexia nervosa, shoplifting, reproduction, the French Resistance, adolescent malaise, intolerance, and the MAGA movement with her signature wit and soul-bearing authenticity” and touted the singer-songwriter as “a pioneer in crowdfunding, constantly exploring new models to empower artists in an ever-changing music industry.”

In a statement, Sobule’s manager, John Porter, called the singer “a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture.”

“I lost a client and a friend today. I hope her music, memory, and legacy continue to live on and inspire others,” Porter said. 

GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, a friend of Sobule’s whose wife, Kristen Henderson, worked on F*ck 7th Grade, released a statement mourning the singer’s passing and praising her impact.

“Jill Sobule wasn’t just a trailblazer in music — she was a beacon for queer artists, and I was incredibly lucky to call her a dear friend,” Ellis said. “Long before it was safe or common, Jill was writing and singing about sexuality and identity with raw honesty and wit. At a time when doing so could have cost her everything, she chose truth. That courage helped pave the way for today’s artists like Brandi Carlile, Tegan and Sara, Lil Nas X, Sam Smith, Adam Lambert, and so many others who now stand proud and open in their music.”

Friend and collaborator Margaret Cho, who directed and appeared in the video for Sobule’s 2009 song “San Francisco,” also mourned the singer. “This is not real to me,” Cho wrote of Sobule’s death on Instagram Thursday. “I am in shock and cannot process this.”

According to the AP, the Denver venue that was set to host Friday night’s performance of F*ck 7th Grade will now host an informal gathering where fans can share stories and songs in remembrance of Sobule. A memorial celebration is being planned for this summer.

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