Jill Sobule, the spirited pop singer who gave us the bold 1995 hit "I Kissed a Girl," tragically lost her life in a Minnesota house fire on May 1. She was 66. Her former college roommate, Wendy Greengard Mikulka, has opened up to The New York Post, vividly recalling Sobule's infectious energy during their University of Colorado days.
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As authorities probe the fire's cause, Mikulka's heartfelt stories paint a picture of a joyful artist whose legacy endures.
Singer Was 'Life of Party'
Back in their freshman year, Mikulka and Sobule shared a dorm room in Boulder's Williams Village, instantly hitting it off. "Jill was the life of the party," Mikulka told the Post, sharing a snapshot of Sobule grinning beside a friend named Wendell Lee, the muse for one of her early tunes.
Indeed, Sobule's humor sparkled -- take the Halloween she strutted as a pregnant Girl Scout, a classic Jill moment.
Mostly, music was Sobule's heartbeat. Mikulka often caught her gigs at cozy Boulder coffee shops, where friends, including Mikulka, jumped in as playful backup singers.
"She loved crafting fun songs," Mikulka said. However, after a semester abroad in Spain, Sobule chased her dreams to Denver, leaving college behind. Consequently, their paths diverged, though they rekindled their bond a decade ago at a San Francisco show, laughing late into the night.
"I kick myself for not staying closer," Mikulka admitted after failing to reconnect following Sobule's mother's passing.
Devastating Fire and Lasting Legacy
On that fateful May day, flames engulfed the house where Sobule stayed. Tragically, her friends escaped, unaware she couldn't break free. Authorities, led by WPD patrol commander Tom Ehrenberg, are investigating, with the Ramsey County Medical Examiner testing for drugs, alcohol, and carbon monoxide to pinpoint her cause of death. "We're still determining the fire's origin," Ehrenberg said, via the Post.
Meanwhile, Sobule's trailblazing career continues to resonate. Her song "I Kissed a Girl" broke barriers as the first openly gay-themed track to crack Billboard's Top 20, while "Supermodel" lit up "Clueless."
Additionally, her musical "F-k 7th Grade" earned a Drama Desk nod, with a 30th-anniversary celebration planned for June 2025. Sobule leaves behind her brother James, sister-in-law Mary, two nephews, and a summer memorial in her honor, the Post reported.
