Latest news with #Songwriter'sHallofFame
STV News
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
I Kissed A Girl singer-songwriter Jill Sobule dies in house fire
Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter behind I Kissed A Girl, has died in a house fire aged 66. Her death in Woodbury, Minnesota, was confirmed by her publicist, David Elkin. It was not immediately clear how the fire started. John Porter, her manager, said in a statement: '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, and legacy continue to live on and inspire others.' 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 in the US. I Kissed A Girl has the same title as Katy Perry's 2008 worldwide hit, but they are two different songs. 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 known for taking control of her career by fundraising so she could make her next album. In 2008, after two major record companies dumped her and two indie labels went bankrupt beneath her, she raised tens of thousands of dollars from fans so she could make a new album. 'The old kind of paradigm, where you've always waited for other people to do things, you'd have your manager and your agent,' she said at the time. 'You'd wait for the big record company to give you money to do things and they tell you what to do. This is so great. I want to do everything like this.' 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. Craig Grossman, her booking agent, said: 'No-one made me laugh more. Her spirit and energy shall be greatly missed within the music community and beyond.' Born in Denver, Colorado, on January 16, 1959, she has described herself as a shy child who preferred observing over participating. Sobule was known for playing dozens of shows a year and has described her live performances as vulnerable experiences. She said she often does not have a set list and wings it. She has performed with such icons as Neil Young, Billy Bragg and Cyndi Lauper, and also inducted Neil Diamond into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, according to her website. She also sang a song as herself on an episode of The Simpsons in 2019. 'In a good way, I feel like I'm still a rookie,' she told The Associated Press in 2023 in an interview about her musical. 'There's so much more to do and I haven't done my best yet.' She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobule, along with her nephews and cousins. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Euronews
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Singer-songwriter Jill Sobule, known for gay-themed anthem 'I Kissed a Girl,' dies in house fire
ADVERTISEMENT Jill Sobule, hitmaker of '90s anthems like 'I Kissed A Girl' and Clueless soundtrack contribution 'Supermodel', has died in a house fire. She was 66 years old. Her death was confirmed by her manager in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter , who said she was staying with some friends in a Minneapolis suburb. The fire broke out early Thursday (1 May) morning. The cause of the fire has yet to be shared. Sobule's manager John Porter said in a statement: '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 and legacy continue to live on and inspire others.' Jill Sobule was best known for her 1995 hit 'I Kissed A Girl' - which is widely regarded as the first song with an openly gay-theme to break into the Billboard top 20 charts. Over the course of her 30-year career, Sobule released 12 albums, which covered various social issues, including LGBTQ+ issues, the death penalty, anorexia and reproductive rights. She performed with such icons as Neil Young, Billy Bragg and Cyndi Lauper, and also inducted Neil Diamond into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. She was also seen as a pioneer of the crowdfunding movement: in 2008, she became one of the first artists to record and release an album through fan contributions. 'The old kind of paradigm, where you've always waited for other people to do things, you'd have your manager and your agent,' she said at the time. 'You'd wait for the big record company to give you money to do things and they tell you what to do. This is so great. I want to do everything like this." In 2022, she co-wrote and performed in the autobiographical musical Fuck 7th Grade, which has had four runs in three years. Jill Sobule - New York - 19 March 1997 AP Photo She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobule, along with her nephews and cousins.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter known for 'I Kissed a Girl,' has died in a fire
Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing first attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song 'I Kissed a Girl,' died in a house fire Thursday. She was 66. Her death was confirmed by her publicist, David Elkin, in an email Thursday afternoon. It was not immediately clear how the fire in Woodbury, Minnesota, started. '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 & a friend today. I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others.' 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 known for taking control of her career by fundraising so she could make her next album. In 2008, after two major record companies dumped her and two indie labels went bankrupt beneath her, she raised tens of thousands of dollars from fans so she could make a new album. 'The old kind of paradigm, where you've always waited for other people to do things, you'd have your manager and your agent,' she said at the time. 'You'd wait for the big record company to give you money to do things and they tell you what to do. This is so great. I want to do everything like this.' 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. 'No one made me laugh more. Her spirit and energy shall be greatly missed within the music community and beyond,' Craig Grossman, her booking agent, said in a statement. Born in Denver, Colorado, on Jan. 16, 1959, she has described herself as a shy child who preferred observing over participating. Sobule was known for playing dozens of shows a year and has described her live performances as vulnerable experiences. She said she often doesn't have a set list and wings it. She's performed with such icons as Neil Young, Billy Bragg and Cyndi Lauper, and also inducted Neil Diamond into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, according to her website. She also sang a song as herself on an episode of 'The Simpsons' in 2019. 'In a good way, I feel like I'm still a rookie," she told The Associated Press in 2023 in an interview about her musical. "There's so much more to do and I haven't done my best yet.' She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobule, along with her nephews and cousins.
Winnipeg Free Press
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter known for ‘I Kissed a Girl,' has died in a fire
Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing first attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song 'I Kissed a Girl,' died in a house fire Thursday. She was 66. Her death was confirmed by her publicist, David Elkin, in an email Thursday afternoon. It was not immediately clear how the fire started. '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 & a friend today. I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others.' 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 known for taking control of her career by fundraising so she could make her next album. In 2008, after two major record companies dumped her and two indie labels went bankrupt beneath her, she raised tens of thousands of dollars from fans so she could make a new album. 'The old kind of paradigm, where you've always waited for other people to do things, you'd have your manager and your agent,' she said at the time. 'You'd wait for the big record company to give you money to do things and they tell you what to do. This is so great. I want to do everything like this.' 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. 'No one made me laugh more. Her spirit and energy shall be greatly missed within the music community and beyond,' Craig Grossman, her booking agent, said in a statement. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Born in Denver, Colorado, on Jan. 16, 1959, she has described herself as a shy child who preferred observing over participating. Sobule was known for playing dozens of shows a year and has described her live performances as vulnerable experiences. She said she often doesn't have a set list and wings it. She's performed with such icons as Neil Young, Billy Bragg and Cyndi Lauper, and also inducted Neil Diamond into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, according to her website. She also sang a song as herself on an episode of 'The Simpsons' in 2019. 'In a good way, I feel like I'm still a rookie,' she told The Associated Press in 2023 in an interview about her musical. 'There's so much more to do and I haven't done my best yet.' She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobule, along with her nephews and cousins.
The Independent
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter known for 'I Kissed a Girl,' has died in a fire
Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter whose witty and poignant writing first attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song 'I Kissed a Girl,' died in a house fire Thursday. She was 66. Her death was confirmed by her publicist, David Elkin, in an email Thursday afternoon. It was not immediately clear how the fire started. '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 & a friend today. I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others.' 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 known for taking control of her career by fundraising so she could make her next album. In 2008, after two major record companies dumped her and two indie labels went bankrupt beneath her, she raised tens of thousands of dollars from fans so she could make a new album. 'The old kind of paradigm, where you've always waited for other people to do things, you'd have your manager and your agent,' she said at the time. 'You'd wait for the big record company to give you money to do things and they tell you what to do. This is so great. I want to do everything like this.' 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. 'No one made me laugh more. Her spirit and energy shall be greatly missed within the music community and beyond,' Craig Grossman, her booking agent, said in a statement. Born in Denver, Colorado, on Jan. 16, 1959, she has described herself as a shy child who preferred observing over participating. Sobule was known for playing dozens of shows a year and has described her live performances as vulnerable experiences. She said she often doesn't have a set list and wings it. She's performed with such icons as Neil Young, Billy Bragg and Cyndi Lauper, and also inducted Neil Diamond into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, according to her website. She also sang a song as herself on an episode of 'The Simpsons' in 2019. 'In a good way, I feel like I'm still a rookie," she told The Associated Press in 2023 in an interview about her musical. "There's so much more to do and I haven't done my best yet.' She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobule, along with her nephews and cousins.
