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Award-winning singer-songwriter Jille Sobourg died in a house fire on Thursday after a witty, moving writing first featured extensively in her gay-themed song “I Kissed a Girl.” She was 66 years old.
Her death was confirmed in an email Thursday afternoon by her spokesperson David Elkin. It was not immediately clear how the Woodbury, Minnesota fire began.
“Gille Sobourg was the power of nature and human rights advocates where music was woven into our culture,” her manager, John Porter, said in a statement. “I enjoyed working with her so much. Today I lost a client and a friend. I hope that her music, memories and legacy will continue to live and inspire others.”
Over the course of more than 30 years of recording, Sobule released 12 albums that address complex topics such as the death penalty, anorexia nervosa, reenactment, and LGBTQ+ issues.
Her first album, “Things Here Here Different,” was released in 1990. Five years later, she made extensive attention to the hit single “Supermodel” from the film “Clueless.”
She also first premiered at the Wild Project in New York in 2022 and appeared in an autobiographical off-Broadway musical that included songs and stories about her life.
Sobule was known for controlling her career through fundraising so that she could make her next album. In 2008, two major record companies abandoned her and two indie labels went bankrupt under her, she was able to collect tens of thousands of dollars from her fans to create a new album.
“The old kind of paradigm that was always waiting for someone else to do something is going to have your manager and your agent,” she said at the time. “You’ll wait for a big record company to give you money to do things, and they tell you what to do. This is so great. I want to do everything like this.”
Sobourg was scheduled to perform in Denver on Friday night. Instead, her spokesperson said there will be an unofficial gathering hosted by Ron Bostwick, a friend of 105.5 The Colorado Sound.
An official memorial will be held later this summer to celebrate her life and heritage.
“No one made me laugh more. Her spirit and energy will be greatly missed in the music community and beyond,” her booking agent Craig Grossman said in a statement.
Born in Denver, Colorado on January 16, 1959, she described her as a shy child who preferred observation over participation.
Sobule is known for playing dozens of shows a year, describing her live performances as a vulnerable experience. She often said she doesn’t have a set list.
She has introduced Neil Diamond to the songwriters’ Hall of Fame, performing with icons such as Neil Young, Billy Bragg and Cindy Lauper, according to her website. She also sang as herself in the 2019 episode of “The Simpsons.”
“In a good way, I still feel like a rookie,” she told The Associated Press in 2023 in an interview about her musical. “There’s so much to do and I’m not doing my best yet.”
She was survived by her older brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobourg, and her nephew and cousin.
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