Jill Sobule death investigation underway to determine if singer died before fire broke out
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
‘Jurassic World Rebirth' roars its way to the top of box office
It had a dino-mite day in theaters. 'Jurassic World Rebirth' brought the box office back to life on Friday, its opener. The seventh installment in the 'Jurassic Park' franchise, 'Rebirth' roared its way to No. 1, clawing in $26.3 million, according to The Numbers. Advertisement The Post called the film 'another embarrassing dino retread' and bashed Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey's characters as 'some of the blandest' in the series. This is the first foray into the prehistoric franchise for Johansson, who has been a fan since she laid eyes on its first installment, 1993's 'Jurassic Park.' 3 'Jurassic World Rebirth' is Scarlett Johansson's first 'Jurassic Park' film. ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement 'I was really crazy about the film, and I slept in a 'Jurassic Park' pup tent in my bedroom I shared with my sister for a year,' she told Vanity Fair. 'Anytime the trades would report a new 'Jurassic' movie, I would forward to my agents like, 'Hey, I'm available.'' The action sci-fi flick — the fourth in the 'Jurassic World' series — was released on Wednesday, and projections for its five-day earnings through the weekend are topping $141 million. 'F1: The Movie' downshifted to second place, after spending its opener last Friday in first. Advertisement 3 In 'F1: The Movie,' Brad Pitt stars as a Formula One driver and Javier Bardem plays his former teammate. ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection The sports drama, starring Brad Pitt as a Formula One driver, earned an estimated $144 million at the international box office over its opening weekend. It is now the biggest opening weekend for the Oscar-winning actor in his 37-year acting career. In an interview with the F1 Beyond The Grid podcast, Pitt said he would like to see a sequel to the movie — which was filmed during the 2023 and 2024 F1 seasons, with scenes shot at real Grand Prix events. Advertisement 'Absolutely. It's such an audacious idea and I cant think of any other film that that's ever happened. To allow us to embed ourselves into the racing season. I had the time of my life,' Pitt gushed on the podcast. 3 Seventeen-year-old Mason Thames plays the lead in 'How to Train Your Dragon.' ©DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection 'How to Train Your Dragon' moved down a notch to third, with sales of $2.88 million on its fourth Friday in theaters. Disney and Pixar's 'Elio' remained in fourth with a $1.5 million take. The zombie thriller '28 Years Later' continued in fifth place, with sales of $1.15 million.
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Aerial photographs of Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show taken from an altitude of up to 8,000 feet
Let freedom fly! A photographer who doubles as a pilot was the highest in the Manhattan sky on July 4th — and The Post obtained his breathtaking aerial photographs of the 49th Annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show taken from a staggering altitude of 7,500 to 8,000 feet. Filip Wolak captured the stunning spectacle — as 80,000 shells launched from four barges on the East River — from above the controlled airspace, which is at 7,000 feet. Advertisement 'What makes it special was I was the only guy out there. I got the best seat,' Wolak, a native of Poland, told The Post Saturday. The astounding images reveal the brightly colored plumes of pyrotechnics forth from the river, surrounded by the panorama of the city. 'I've always been fascinated by the fireworks and of course, they're the best here. And I don't necessarily like crowds, so I find a way of watching from that point of view.' Advertisement Filip Wolak, who has been an aerial photographer for 15 years, captured the fireworks from up to 8,000 feet in the air. Filip Wolak for NY Post While fireworks themselves are 'quite challenging to photograph,' especially while flying a plane, he does have someone seated beside him to watch for traffic and altitude, he said. 'It's a high level of stress, but it's a good stress,' he said. 'And when I take photographs from the sky, I slow down the airplane to the minimum flyable speed which allows me to capture images that are not blurry.' Advertisement The Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show featured 80,000 shells launched from four barges on the East River. Filip Wolak for NY Post Wolak snaps the Independence Day pyrotechnics every year, but thought he wouldn't be able to this time around because airspace in the tristate area had been closed at 10:30 p.m. when President Trump visited the area. 'I thought there was a chance I would not make it because the president came to town last night and they basically shut down the whole airspace,' he said.
New York Post
9 hours ago
- New York Post
I tested Google's new AI dressing room — here's my verdict
I wasn't planning to try on Kate Hudson's yellow 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' dress from my office desk this week. But that's what happened when I downloaded Doppl, Google's new AI fashion experiment that lets users virtually try on any outfit. Think Alicia Silverstone's digital closet in 'Clueless' — but AI, and on your phone. All you have to do is snap a full-body photo of yourself, upload the outfit you want to try and, within 30 to 60 seconds, your digital twin shows up wearing it. 8 The app was launched through Google Labs. Tamara Beckwith It's meant to replace your dressing room. So naturally, I gave it a shot. My 'Doppl' — unsettlingly similar to me, but with slightly-off proportions and longer hair — stood in the iconic yellow gown I've been obsessed with since middle school. Then it waved. Each animation is different. The app can create short videos of your AI clone moving in the outfit, usually with a slow turn or stiff pose. In this case, mine lifted an arm and posed like she was headed to the Oscars. 8 The yellow dress was nearly identical to the one Kate Hudson wears in 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 days.' Samantha Olander via Doppl 8 The animation gives people a chance to see themselves in different outfits. Samantha Olander via Doppl It was jarring. But I couldn't stop watching. The fit wasn't exact, but it was more accurate than I expected and enough to make me genuinely want the dress. Maybe need it. Doppl, launched last week through Google Labs, is part try-on tool, part tech experiment. Users can upload photos of outfits — whether it's a Pinterest fit, something from your favorite store's website or a sweater you spotted at a thrift shop — and the app creates a virtual version of you in the outfit. You can also skip using your own photo and choose from 20 preset AI models of different ages, races and body types. 8 Doppl currently supports images of tops, bottoms and dresses — but no shoes, bags or accessories. Google For now, Google says Doppl 'might not always get things right.' The app only supports tops, bottoms and dresses — no shoes, bags or accessories — and doesn't offer sizing advice or help with fit. Still, I wanted to see what it could do. One outfit I tested came from my Pinterest board — titled 'The Life of a Shopping Addict' — basically a running digital wish list of clothes I wish I owned. I picked a Saturday-night look: a black tank top and long, flowy skirt. Doppl gave me a short black mini dress and black boots that looked nothing like it. In some photos, it even added a few inches to my hair. 8 Users can upload screenshots of clothing from their favorite brands to see how the pieces might look on them. Samantha Olander via Doppl 8 When it works, it gives a surprisingly realistic preview of how the outfit might look on your body. Samantha Olander via Doppl Other outfits fared better. I uploaded a pair of jeans from Zara that had been sitting in my cart, and Doppl surprised me by generating an image that included the belt from the product photo, even though Google said accessories aren't yet supported. The rendering wasn't perfect, but as someone who's 5'10' and struggles to find jeans that are long enough online, it looked good enough. I bought them. From what I've seen, simpler outfits work best. The AI struggles with complex silhouettes — layered looks, blurry images, tricky fabrics — and occasionally invents new clothes from scratch if it can't figure things out. When it works, it's persuasive. 8 The app doesn't suggest sizes or guarantee fit, and layered or complex outfits may not render accurately. Samantha Olander via Doppl 8 Doppl uses generative AI to create digital try-ons, but results may include visual glitches or imagined clothing. Samantha Olander via Doppl When it doesn't, you're watching a glitchy clone wear something you didn't ask for. 'This is generative AI in an augmented reality format,' said Sucharita Kodali, a retail analyst at Forrester. 'I can't imagine that it wouldn't be useful. Is it going to be transformational and double anybody's business? No. But it'll be useful.' The app isn't perfect. Doppl skips over personalized questions like your height or measurements, which could make try-ons more accurate. You also have to be over 18, live in the U.S. and be logged into your Google account to use it. While it may not be replacing store dressing rooms anytime soon, for a free app on your phone, it gets surprisingly close. And it might just talk you into buying something you already wanted anyway.
