Singer slated for TACAW show dies in house fire

Denver-native and musical artist Jill Sobule unexpectedly passed away on Thursday, May 1, before she was able to fly out for her performance scheduled for May 3 at The Arts Campus at Willits.

Sobule’s show in Basalt is now canceled. She was set to perform an autobiographical musical, “Songs from F*ck the 7th Grade.” The show was a coming-of-age story that debuted in an off-Broadway show in 2022.  

Early reports indicate she passed away from a house fire in her home state of Minnesota while she was staying with friends. She was 66 years old.

Sobule gained fame from her 1995 hits: “I Kissed a Girl,” which is considered the first openly gay-themed song to ever hit the Billboard Top 20, and her alternative rock anthem “Supermodel” featured in the film, “Clueless.”

The witty, socially-conscious singer-songwriter and guitarist produced 12 albums over the course of three decades.

She was also known for “The Jill and Julie Show”; she was the musical half, while comedian Julie Sweeney provided the storytelling. Her most recent album release, “Nostalgia Kills,” came out in 2018.

Sobule is renowned for having pioneered crowdfunding before it became widely accepted.

Tickets for the May 3 performance are able to be refunded or can be converted to a donation to TACAW, according to Kendall Smith, director of programming.

A free, informal gathering is planned from 7:30-9 p.m. on May 2 in Swallow Hill Music’s Tuft Theater, located at 71 East Yale Ave., Denver.  A formal memorial will be planned later in the summer.