Fire officials in Woodbury on Friday morning were still trying to determine how and why Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter and human-rights activist, died in a house fire in Woodbury early Thursday morning.
Firefighters were called to the 9200 block of Pinehurst Road, near Interlachen Parkway, around 5:30 a.m. after receiving a report of a fire.
When crews arrived, they found the house in flames and were told by the homeowners that one person — identified as a woman in her 60s — was still possibly inside. Firefighters found Sobule’s body inside the home. Woodbury Public Safety said Thursday there were no immediate signs of foul play.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office said the investigation into the cause of death is pending toxicology results. It could take six to eight weeks for those results, a spokesman said Friday.
Sobule, 66, was in the Twin Cities to visit friends, record an episode of “The Brian Oake Show” podcast with the former Cities 97 and 89.3 The Current DJ and help prepare for a show, “Jill Sobule presents F*ck 7th Grade & More: A Pride Month Event!,” which was scheduled to be performed at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis on June 11.
She made history with her 1995 single “I Kissed a Girl” as the first openly gay-themed song ever to crack the Billboard Top 20. She also was known for the song “Supermodel,” which was featured in the 1995 movie “Clueless.”
“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture,” John Porter, her manager, said in a statement. “I was having so much fun working with her. I lost a client and a friend today. I hope her music, memory, and legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”
Her booking agent, Craig Grossman, wrote that he was fortunate to know Sobule “beyond a professional relationship. No one made me laugh more. Her spirit and energy shall be greatly missed within the music community and beyond.”
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Sobule was scheduled to perform her show “Jill Sobule presents: Songs From F*ck 7th Grade & More” at Swallow Hill Music’s Tuft Theater in Denver tonight, according to a statement posted by her publicists. Instead, there will be “an informal gathering” hosted by Rob Bostwick, a host at 105.5 The Colorado Sound and a friend of Sobule’s. She was a native of Denver.
“Folks are encouraged to join their fellow Jill friends and fans to share a story or song,” according to the statement, which also noted that there will be a formal memorial celebrating Sobule’s “life and legacy” later this summer.
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