Latest news with #IKissedaGirl
Yahoo
4 days ago
- 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
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Terrifying details of ‘I Kissed a Girl' singer Jill Sobule's fatal house fire revealed as investigation continues
Jill Sobule's death is still under investigation as new horrific details emerge about the fatal house fire that broke out earlier this month. The 'I Kissed a Girl' hitmaker's body was discovered in a bedroom on the second floor of her friends' two-story Minnesota home, according to the Woodbury Public Safety's fire report obtained by The Post on Tuesday. The report dated May 16 stated that while the source and cause of the fire are still being investigated, the blaze may have started outside, with officials noting that 'abandoned or discarded materials or products' were contributing factors to the ignition. It also stated that those inside the home were asleep when the fire broke out on May 1 at around 5:37 a.m. and that they did not appear to be impaired by drugs or alcohol. Smoke detectors were present and alerted the occupants of the blaze, per the report that also revealed three stories of the home, which included the roof, suffered 'extreme damage' of upwards to 70-100 percent. The report also included an incident summary detailing what Woodbury firefighters witnessed when they first approached the burning home — and their heroic efforts to desperately extinguish the out-of-control blaze when they learned that Sobule had not made it out with her friends. 'Initial reports stated there was no one inside. While enroute [sic], a dispatch update revealed there was one person still inside the home,' the outline read, stating that 'large heavy black smoke was witnessed from about 1/2 mile out from the home.' When the first fire unit arrived on the scene, they 'could see flames fully involved in [the] back of [the] home, with large rolling flames coming out the front door of the home and out through the roof,' as well as 'heavy smoke and flames coming from the front door and front windows.' They also noted that 'the back deck was 'fully gone' and the basement windows on the west side of the home were actively breaking out due to the heavy fire involvement.' The first arriving crews were 'initially unable to make entry into the home' due to the 'heavy amounts of smoke and flame,' the report stated, noting that 'an exterior offensive attack strategy' was then called into play. Firefighters worked tirelessly, with some battling the fire from the front of the 3,128-square-foot home and others tackling the flames from the back as two ambulances were requested to the scene 'for EMS standby.' 'After knocking down enough fire to safetly [sic] gain access into the home, a primary search was initiated to locate the missing person,' the report read. 'The deceased was found on the second floor of the home in a bedroom on the Charlie/Delta corner.' The State Fire Marshal and the Ramsey County Medical Examiner later arrived at the scene to conduct their investigations before crews removed Sobule's body from the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home. Teams continued to clean up and extinguish the remaining hot spots before all units cleared the scene, according to the report. The scene examination also revealed that 'heavy fire damage' was 'observed on the rear exterior of the home, appearing to originate near the pre-existing screened in porch and deck area,' with burn patterns extending 'from the ground level up to the deck' and continuing 'to the roofline and into the attic space of the roof.' The report noted that 'the deck area and screened in porch are mostly gone, with only some horizontal and vertical structural support members remaining.' The Woodbury Public Safety Fire Marshal concluded that following the preliminary investigation into the fatal fire, further examination assistance is needed, so it's now in the hands of the Minnesota State Fire Marshal's Office. 'At the time of completion of this report, the cause of the fire and death still remain under investigation,' the fire marshal stated. Sobule — known for her groundbreaking '90s hits 'I Kissed a Girl' and 'Supermodel,' which was featured in the movie 'Clueless' — tragically died at age 66. Photos showed the heavy damage to the home after the fatal inferno. Almost immediately, investigators began looking into whether the singer was still alive when the house went up in flames. Sobule's friends — a married couple — made it out of their house and believed she was behind them. Once they were safely outside, they discovered the heartbreaking truth. 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 former roommate exclusively spoke to The Post and recalled her last memory of the star. Sobule dropped 12 albums during her three-decades-long career and was also behind the autobiographical musical 'F–k 7th Grade,' which saw a four-theatrical run, as well as the theme song for Nickelodeon's 'Unfabulous.' She left behind her brother, James, sister-in-law, Mary, and two nephews.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Jill Sobule death: Terrifying new details of house fire revealed
Jill Sobule's death is still under investigation as new horrific details emerge about the fatal house fire that broke out earlier this month. The 'I Kissed a Girl' hitmaker's body was discovered in a bedroom on the second floor of her friends' two-story Minnesota home, according to the Woodbury Public Safety's fire report obtained by The Post on Tuesday. The report dated May 16 stated that while the source and cause of the fire are still being investigated, the blaze may have started outside, with officials noting that 'abandoned or discarded materials or products' were contributing factors to the ignition. Advertisement It also stated that those inside the home were asleep when the fire broke out on May 1 at around 5:37 a.m. and that they did not appear to be impaired by drugs or alcohol. 14 Jill Sobule attends the GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton on March 30, 2023. Getty Images for GLAAD 14 The house where Jill Sobule was staying showed heavy damage on Friday, May 2, 2025, in Woodbury, Minn., a day after the deadly fire broke out. AP Advertisement Smoke detectors were present and alerted the occupants of the blaze, per the report that also revealed three stories of the home, which included the roof, suffered 'extreme damage' of upwards to 70-100 percent. The report also included an incident summary detailing what Woodbury firefighters witnessed when they first approached the burning home — and their heroic efforts to desperately extinguish the out-of-control blaze when they learned that Sobule had not made it out with her friends. 'Initial reports stated there was no one inside. While enroute [sic], a dispatch update revealed there was one person still inside the home,' the outline read, stating that 'large heavy black smoke was witnessed from about 1/2 mile out from the home.' 14 Jill Sobule lost her life on May 1 at age 66. FilmMagic Advertisement 14 Smoke detectors were present and alerted the occupants of the blaze, per the report that also revealed three stories of the home, which included the roof, suffered 'extreme damage' of upwards to 100 percent. AP 14 Her body was discovered in a bedroom on the second floor of the house, according to the report. WireImage When the first fire unit arrived on the scene, they 'could see flames fully involved in [the] back of [the] home, with large rolling flames coming out the front door of the home and out through the roof,' as well as 'heavy smoke and flames coming from the front door and front windows.' They also noted that 'the back deck was 'fully gone' and the basement windows on the west side of the home were actively breaking out due to the heavy fire involvement.' Advertisement The first arriving crews were 'initially unable to make entry into the home' due to the 'heavy amounts of smoke and flame,' the report stated, noting that 'an exterior offensive attack strategy' was then called into play. 14 The singer was known for her '90s hits 'I Kissed a Girl' and 'Supermodel,' which was featured in 'Clueless.' AP 14 Jill Sobule performs during the 15th Annual Bridge School Benefit October 21, 2001. Getty Images Firefighters worked tirelessly, with some battling the fire from the front of the 3,128-square-foot home and others tackling the flames from the back as two ambulances were requested to the scene 'for EMS standby.' 'After knocking down enough fire to safetly [sic] gain access into the home, a primary search was initiated to locate the missing person,' the report read. 'The deceased was found on the second floor of the home in a bedroom on the Charlie/Delta corner.' The State Fire Marshal and the Ramsey County Medical Examiner later arrived at the scene to conduct their investigations before crews removed Sobule's body from the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home. 14 The source and cause of the fire are still being investigated, the report exclusively obtained by The Post revealed. Andy Kropa/Invision/AP 14 The star was staying with her married friends when the fire broke out. Getty Images Advertisement Teams continued to clean up and extinguish the remaining hot spots before all units cleared the scene, according to the report. The scene examination also revealed that 'heavy fire damage' was 'observed on the rear exterior of the home, appearing to originate near the pre-existing screened in porch and deck area,' with burn patterns extending 'from the ground level up to the deck' and continuing 'to the roofline and into the attic space of the roof.' The report noted that 'the deck area and screened in porch are mostly gone, with only some horizontal and vertical structural support members remaining.' 14 Firefighters battled the blaze from the front and back of the home. AP Advertisement 14 The report detailed the heavy damage done to the home. AP 14 Jill Sobule's death is also still under investigation. Getty Images The Woodbury Public Safety Fire Marshal concluded that following the preliminary investigation into the fatal fire, further examination assistance is needed, so it's now in the hands of the Minnesota State Fire Marshal's Office. 'At the time of completion of this report, the cause of the fire and death still remain under investigation,' the fire marshal stated. Advertisement Sobule — known for her groundbreaking '90s hits 'I Kissed a Girl' and 'Supermodel,' which was featured in the movie 'Clueless' — tragically died at age 66. Photos showed the heavy damage to the home after the fatal inferno. 14 The singer's former roommate spoke to The Post about her shocking death. Getty Images 14 Jill Sobule's friends thought she had run out of the house behind them. Getty Images Advertisement Almost immediately, investigators began looking into whether the singer was still alive when the house went up in flames. Sobule's friends — a married couple — made it out of their house and believed she was behind them. Once they were safely outside, they discovered the heartbreaking truth. 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 former roommate exclusively spoke to The Post and recalled her last memory of the star. Sobule dropped 12 albums during her three-decades-long career and was also behind the autobiographical musical 'F–k 7th Grade,' which saw a four-theatrical run, as well as the theme song for Nickelodeon's 'Unfabulous.' She left behind her brother, James, sister-in-law, Mary, and two nephews.
UPI
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson dies at age 79
"Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson (L), seen here outside the U.S. Capitol building with Sarah Palin in 2015, has died, his family said. File Photo by Molly Riley/UPI | License Photo May 26 (UPI) -- Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson has died, his family said Sunday. He was 79. Robertson's death was announced in a statement on Facebook by his daughter-in-law Korie Robertson. No cause of death was given. "We celebrate today that our father, husband and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord," according to the post, which said a public celebration of his life will be announced at a later date. Robertson gained celebrity status due to the reality TV show Duck Dynasty of 2012 to 2017 that chronicled his family and their multi-million-dollar business of hunting goods and equipment. In December, it was revealed that Robertson had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. "Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus," the family said in its Sunday statement. "We are grateful for his life on Earth and will continue the legacy of love for God and love for others until we see him again." Notable deaths of 2025 Jill Sobule Jill Sobule attends the GLAAD Media Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 30, 2023. Sobule, the Jill Sobule attends the GLAAD Media Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 30, 2023. Sobule, the singer-songwriter behind "I Kissed a Girl," "Living Color" and "Supermodel," died at the age of 66 on May 2 from a house fire. Photo by Greg Grudt/UPI | License Photo
UPI
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
'Today' host Sheinelle Jones' husband dies of brain cancer
1 of 4 | Sheinelle Jones arrives on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards ceremony in 2018. On Friday, her colleague's announced the passing of her husband, Uche Ojeh. File Photo by Dennis Van Tine/UPI | License Photo May 23 (UPI) -- Today host Sheinelle Jones' husband, Uche Ojeh, has died. He was 45 years old. "With profound sadness we each share this morning that Uche Ojeh, the husband of our dear friend and Today co-host Sheinelle Jones, has passed away after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma," Savannah Guthrie said Friday. "There are no words for the pain that we feel for Sheinelle and their three young children." The couple, who tied the knot in 2007, share Kayin, born in 2009, and twins Uche and Clara, born in 2012. Craig Melvin, who was good friends with Ojeh, talked about playing golf together in the fall. "We had a number of conversations about, you know, just life in general," he said. "And one thing he always talked about -- he talked about those kids. He loved those kids more than anything else in this world, and was just so proud... He was that dad that was on the sideline at every soccer game. He was at all of the concerts and the recitals. He was that guy." Jones previously announced that she would be taking a step back from the 3rd hour of Today due to a "a family healthy matter." "I sincerely appreciate all of you who have reached out while I've been absent from the show," she said at the time. "It's not lost on me how lucky I am to have not only the support of my Today Show family, but to also have all of you. Your kindness means so much to me." Notable deaths of 2025 Jill Sobule Jill Sobule attends the GLAAD Media Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 30, 2023. Sobule, the Jill Sobule attends the GLAAD Media Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 30, 2023. Sobule, the singer-songwriter behind "I Kissed a Girl," "Living Color" and "Supermodel," died at the age of 66 on May 2 from a house fire. Photo by Greg Grudt/UPI | License Photo
