Singer Jill Sobule, known for ‘I Kissed a Girl’, found dead inside Woodbury house fire

Jill Sobule found dead inside Woodbury house fire

Woodbury officials say a woman is dead after being found by firefighters early Thursday morning inside of a burning home.

According to Woodbury public safety officials, firefighters were called to the 9200 block of Pinehurst Road around 5:30 a.m. for 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 eventually found the woman’s body inside the home.

David Elkin, the publicist for 66-year-old Jill Sobule – an award-winning singer-songwriter known for the 1995 version of the song “I Kissed a Girl” – confirmed with the Associated Press by e-mail that Sobule had died in Thursday’s fire. She was also known for the song “Supermodel”, which was featured in the movie “Clueless”.

Credit: Kelsey Christensen/KSTP-TV
Credit: Kelsey Christensen/KSTP-TV

Sobule’s manager, John Porder, said in a statement that she was in Minnesota to record a podcast and help prepare for a musical she wrote.

During her more than three decades of recording, Sobule released 12 albums that addressed such complex topics as the death penalty, anorexia nervosa, reproduction and LGBTQ+ issues.

Her first album, “Things Here Are Different,” was released in 1990. Five years later, she received widespread attention for her hit singles, “Supermodel,” from the movie “Clueless,” and “I Kissed A Girl,” which, despite being banned on several southern radio stations, made it into the Billboard Top 20.

She also starred in an autobiographical off-Broadway musical that initially premiered at the Wild Project in New York in 2022 and includes songs and stories about her life.

Sobule was scheduled to perform in Denver on Friday night. Instead, there will be an informal gathering hosted by her friend Ron Bostwick from 105.5 The Colorado Sound at the performance space where attendees can “share a story or song,” according to her publicist.

A formal memorial to celebrate her life and legacy will be held later this summer.

Woodbury Fire Chief Chris Klein told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that multiple agencies were involved with suppression activity. As of this publishing, the cause of the fire is still being investigated.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.