Ben Lee is one of several musicians who have paid tribute to the late Jill Sobule, following the news of her passing yesterday (May 1st) at age 66. The American singer-songwriter, best known for her 1995 singles ‘I Kissed A Girl’ and ‘Supermodel’, was found dead following a house fire in Woodbury, per a CBS News report. The fire’s cause remains under investigation at the time of writing.
Lee, who worked with Sobule on what ended up being her final album Nostalgia Kills in 2018, described the singer-songwriter as “a force of nature” in his Weirder Together newsletter. “I have so much to say about Jill, her particular brand of creative magic, the community she built, her activism and her playful enthusiasm,” he wrote. “Not sure I can find the words to express all of that right now.”
Jill Sobule – ‘I Kissed A Girl’
“You may recognise her name as the author of the first ever openly gay-themed song to crack the Billboard Top 20 in 1995, ‘I Kissed A Girl’, but this was just the tip of the iceberg of a truly unique musical career. At some point when you’ve got a moment, jump into investigating Jill’s back catalogue and acquaint yourself with the body of work that this monster of songwriting put out.”
“Thank you, Jill Sobule, for everything you gave us as friends, fans and members of your creative community. We love you.”
Sobule released her debut studio album, Things Here Are Different, in 1990. Although its lead single ‘Too Cool To Fall In Love’ cracked the Billboard Adult Contemporary top 20, the album itself failed to chart. It wasn’t until 1995 when Sobule’s fortunes turned around with the release of her self-titled second album.
The album was home to her two biggest hits, ‘I Kissed A Girl’ and ‘Supermodel’ – the latter of which was featured in the film Clueless, starring Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd. Both songs charted locally, with ‘I Kissed A Girl’ peaking at number 36 on the ARIA Charts and both singles appearing in the 1995 triple j Hottest 100, at numbers 18 (‘I Kissed A Girl’) and 59 (‘Supermodel’).
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