In the mid 1990’s Jill Sobule made her mark with the declarative I Kissed a Girl, a song praised for its positive depiction of same sex attraction. The satirical Supermodel was another of her hits.
The tragic news arrived today that Sobule had lost her life at the age off sixty-six, the victim of a house fire in Minnesota. Her manager John Porter confirmed her passing in a statement to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
“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,” Porter said.
“I lost a client and a friend today. I hope her music, memory and legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”
While many will remember Sobule for her indie chart topping hits, her career beyond those catch ysongs was impressive. Her discography includes 10 albums of material, plus live recordings and EPs. Her writing tackling many serious topics including sexuality, health and women’s roles in society.
Her debut album Things Here Are Different was produced by music legend Todd Rundgren, but it failed to make an impact. She recorded a follow up with British musician and producer Joe Jackson, but after she was dropped by her record company it was ambandoned.
Sobule’s breakthrough came five years later when in 1995 her second record, which was self-titled, was a huge success. At a time when many women singer songwriters were having success she joined Alanis Morrisette, Lisa Loeb, and Juliana Hatfield on the charts.
Her song Supermodel was featured in the popular teen comedy Clueless which starred Alicia Silverstone.
Hero image : Taken by Steve Jurvetson published via a Creative Commons License CC BY 2.0
