Latest news with #DramaDesk-nominated
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jill Sobule death investigation underway to determine if singer died before fire broke out
An investigation has been launched to determine if singer Jill Sobule passed away before the house fire that took her life. The '90s icon — known for her 1995 anthem 'I Kissed a Girl' — failed to escape the blaze that broke out at her friend's home in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Thursday. She was 66. Now, investigators are looking into whether she was still alive when the house went up in flames. Sobule's body is being tested for drugs, alcohol and carbon monoxide poisoning to determine when and how she passed away, a Ramsey County representative in Minnesota told TMZ. The Ramsey Medical Examiner also confirmed that an investigation into the cause and manner of her death is underway. 'WPD can confirm the victim of the fire yesterday morning was Jill Sobule,' WPD patrol commander Tom Ehrenberg told The Post on Friday. He also revealed investigators are looking into how the fire started. 'The Ramsey County Medical Examiner did not finalize the cause of death. The fire itself, including the cause, is still under active investigation, which is standing operating procedure.' The Post has reached out to the Ramsey County rep, the police department and the coroner for comment. Sobule was reportedly staying with her pals when the unidentified couple's house caught ablaze, Craig Grossman, the singer's rep told TMZ. Woodbury Public Safety authorities were called to the scene at around 5:30 a.m. for the report of an active house fire. 'Upon arrival, responders observed the house fully engulfed in flames. The homeowners reported one person was possibly still inside the home. Woodbury firefighters began actively fighting the fire while also searching for the missing person. Tragically, the missing female, in her 60s, was located deceased inside the home,' the Woodbury Police Department . The friends believed she ran out of the home with them; however, once they were safely outside, they discovered the gut-wrenching truth. Sobule was still inside the house, and the fire was too intense for them to rescue her. Photos show the aftermath of the fatal inferno and the damage it caused to the outside of the property. The couple has no idea what caused their property to catch on fire, with Grossman telling TMZ that none of the trio smoked and Sobule did not use drugs. Her friends aren't just in mourning. The pair reportedly have survivor's guilt. The Denver native first broke out on the scene 30 years ago with 'I Kissed a Girl,' which is widely considered the first openly gay-themed tune to break into the Billboard Top 20. However, Sobule found worldwide success with her song 'Supermodel,' which was featured in Alicia Silverstone's breakout movie 'Clueless' (1995). Millennials will remember the tune during the scene when Silverstone's character Cher and Dionne (Stacey Dash) give their new friend, transfer student Tai (Brittany Murphy), a makeover. Sobule was also behind the autobiographical Drama Desk-nominated musical 'F–k 7th Grade.' The project is approaching its 30-year anniversary, and the original cast recording is set to be released in June alongside a reissue of Sobule's self-titled album, featuring her two best hits, 'I Kissed a Girl' and 'Supermodel.' During Sobule's career, she had 12 albums and even created the theme song for Nickelodeon's 'Unfabulous.' Several of the singer's colleagues addressed her death, with her manager, John Porter, telling The Post, '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. I lost a client and a friend today. I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others.' Her booking agent, Ken Hertz, added that 'Jill wasn't just a client. She was family to us. 'She showed up for every birth, every birthday, and every holiday. She performed at our daughter's wedding, and I was her 'tech' when she performed by Zoom from our living room (while living with us) during the pandemic.' Sobule was scheduled to perform 'Jill Sobule presents: Songs From F–k 7th Grade & More' tonight in Denver, Colorado. In the wake of her shocking death, the event has been canceled. An informal gathering will now take place in her honor, per the theater's website. Sobule is survived by her brother, James, sister-in-law, Mary, and two nephews. A formal memorial celebrating her life will reportedly happen later this summer.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch Jill Sobule's ‘Underdog Victorious' Video, From the Musical Completed Before Her Death, ‘F*ck 7th Grade'
Before her tragic death in a Minneapolis house fire earlier this month, singer-songwriter Jill Sobule had completed work on a Drama Desk-nominated 'autobiographical musical memoir' called 'F*ck 7 th Grade,' which was filled with both the incisive melodicism and humor that marked all of her best work. The original cast recording of the musical remains scheduled for release on June 6 — and the first video from it can be seen below. While it tells the story of a nerdy but ambitious young boy, 'Underdog Victorious' clearly has many autobiographical elements, and Sobule and her band give a rousing performance of the song, and its who-laughs-last lyrics and soaring, signature chorus: 'Underdog victorious / He was simply glorious / Someday he'd die notorious / Underdog victorious.' More from Variety Jill Sobule, Singer-Songwriter of Groundbreaking 1995 Song 'I Kissed a Girl,' Dies in House Fire 'F*ck 7th Grade' debuted at a drive-in during the pandemic in Pittsburgh, before experiencing a three year run off Broadway at the Wild Project. Sobule was also gearing up for the 30th anniversary of her landmark self-titled album — which featured the hits 'I Kissed a Girl' (not the later Katy Perry song of the same title) and 'Supermodel' — with a special red vinyl reissue. Several of her concerts scheduled for the summer are being transformed into celebrations of her life and music, which her team is calling 'Jillith Fairs.' The cause of the fire in which Sobule died remains under investigation. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
