On Thursday afternoon, on social media, I wrote something about The Alarm’s Mike Peters.
I posted it and once again thought “damn, 66 is just too young to die.”
Minutes later I saw the headline “Jill Sobule, Dead at 66.”
It was shocking because she’d just come through my town, opening for The Fixx. I went to the show, but was unable to make it in time for her set because I was about to undertake a massive roadtrip, and had a logistical detail to tend to.
I thought it was cool she was on the bill, though. It seemed like an unusual pairing, but I love unusual pairings on bills. It doesn’t happen enough anymore, in my opinion. After the show I walked by the bus to see if she was there so I could say hello. I didn’t see her, and moved on.
I didn’t actually know Jill, per se, but we’d had some excellent interactions at Future of Music Coalition conferences. She was an activist, cared deeply about both musician and human rights, walked the walk, and would come to our events. One time she, indie hero and FMC co-founder Jenny Toomey, and I were standing in a circle at a wrap up party. The subject turned to gear and pedals, as it often can when I’m within 20 feet of a conversation that’s not about gear and pedals. Jenny just kind of pointed in my direction with a kind of “here’s your guy” motion. Jill was extolling the virtues of the Way Huge Swollen Pickle – the only fuzz she liked on… acoustic guitar.
Speaking of the Alarm yesterday, I mentioned they played their acoustics through Marshall stacks. I guess Jill also had some of that velvet folk fist in an iron glove philosophy too.
During that, and other conversations I had with her, she was animated, funny, smart, sweet, and just lovely. I remember saying to a friend she was like the yang to Aimee Mann’s ying. Both genius songwriters and social critics, only Jill just delivered it with a bit more “zazz.”
In all honesty, I didn’t follow her career closely because her stock in trade wasn’t completely in my wheelhouse, but anytime she came up I’d always make some comment like “she’s the real deal. A total hero who does the work.” When I’d see her perform, I’d enjoy it immensely.
At some point I saw her support Lloyd Cole, who also never puts on a bad show. It felt like a co-headline because she gave it 100% like she always did. She wore a prole style cap, as she often did, and I remember thinking “it’s like I’m seeing Billy Bragg’s sister.”
When I was unable to get to her Fixx support slot a few weeks ago I had some regrets. There was part of me that wanted to see what she was up to lately. The next day, I was sending a text to a new friend called Jill, and “Jill Sobule” came up in my contacts as I typed. She’d given me her number in that “if you’re ever in town” kind of way, ages ago, and it was still there. “Dammit,” I thought, because my MO has always been to reach out to anyone coming through to see if they need anything. You know, offer some hospitality to a road-weary soldier. Lodging, dinner, or just recommendations. Like, I always do this, but I’d forgotten I had her number, and there was a small part of me that felt like I’d failed the tribe, because I was too focused on getting my car ready for a cross-country journey.
When I heard the news of her death, of course, my mind went in the direction of health issues. But how could someone suffering with a terminal disease be up for a national tour like she’d just been on? There were no details. Usually the Wiki page is updated within seconds of a passing. Not in this case. Online, I found some references to a condition that made her “fidgety”, but it didn’t seem life-threatening.
An hour later I learned she’d suffered a grim death in a house fire, outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul. A true road dog, Jill would stay with friends when she could, to make the economics of touring work. As both the recipient and offerer of guest beds and sofas, I thought “of course,” but also part of me was like “Jesus, why is it that a successful musician, who has worked so hard, has to still watch the budget so closely?”
In 1995, Jill had had a hit with a song called I Kissed A Girl, years before Katy Perry had a massive one by basically telling the same story. By most estimations, it was the first time a song that was unquestionably, openly queer broke the Billboard Top 20. True to her sense of humor, the video for it featured bodice ripper icon Fabio as “the hunk.”
Another track of Jill’s got a synch in the film Clueless.
Of course lodging with pals also feels nice. Jill was clearly a friendly person, so maybe it wasn’t about economics, and she just preferred to stay in homes.
All I know is we’ve lost another real one due to absolutely tragic circumstances.
Rest in peace, Jill. You made a lot of people happy.
(Jill Sobule: January 16, 1959 – May 1, 2025)
~
All words by Alex Maiolo, you can find his author’s archive here
Photos: Jill Sobule in 2013 by Michael Borkson is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Jill Sobule 1 by Uncensored Interview is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Jill Sobule at Bernie Sanders rally 2015 by Ellie Smith
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