The music trade was shocked this week upon the information that groundbreaking singer-songwriter Jill Sobule died in a home fireplace outdoors of Minneapolis on Thursday at age 66. Sobule, beloved among the many songwriter group and recognized for her political activism, broke by way of within the ’90s with songs like “I Kissed a Woman” and “Supermodel.” The previous was the primary brazenly homosexual music to crack the highest 20 on the Billboard charts, the latter was featured within the 1995 movie Clueless.
Among the many many buddies of Sobule nonetheless in disbelief is Michelle Lewis, a longtime pal and the CEO of the Songwriters of North America (SONA). Lewis and Sobule wrote incessantly collectively for the reason that pair met within the mid-2000s. She was making ready to see Sobule quickly earlier than she heard the information of Sobule’s passing, as Sobule was supposed to remain at Lewis’s dwelling in Los Angeles subsequent week when she got here into city.
Lewis says she “hasn’t been in a position to transfer previous shock” as she nonetheless involves phrases with what’s occurred. “She was an otherworldly determine, simply magical,” she says.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter a day after Sobule’s loss of life, Lewis describes her pal as a one in all a sort author pushed purely by her personal artistic expression, and a nomadic artist who lived her life freely in no matter approach she wished.
Jill was undoubtedly not like anybody you’ve ever met. I do know that in itself is a cliche You’re going hear all these issues like about marching to her personal drum. However after I say she’s the one one in all her type, I imply actually, the one particular person like her. I can’t make analogies which are human. She’s like fairy mud, sparkle, brilliance and originality. I can’t take into consideration her when it comes to a human, she’s not a standard human. Folks name Chappell Roan your favourite artist’s favourite artist, Jill was that, a songwriter’s songwriter. Each singer-songwriter’s favourite singer-songwriter.
It didn’t simply play out in her music and her songs, however in how she lived her life. She was a vagabond. She didn’t actually plant roots. You by no means knew whether or not she was in New York or LA or on tour, and that’s form of the appeal of her too. She stuffed the room with this whirlwind of caprice.
Kay [Hanley, lead singer of Letters to Cleo] and I had a mission/band referred to as The Dilettantes. There was a revolving member. Lisa Loeb was one in all them and did a music with us. Tracy Bonham did a music with us. Nina Gorden. Jill met us for the primary time to do a Dilettante music. She thought it was actually enjoyable to put in writing with two different ladies. She got here into our world, after which she pulled us into her world. I realized the information from Kay, who referred to as me sobbing, I didn’t consider it. My cellphone simply began blowing up. She was the favourite particular person to many people. It will likely be one hell of a memorial.
Each single name or textual content from Jill had the potential for an journey. I by no means mentioned no. Anytime she requested me to do one thing, I knew there could be an journey hooked up to it, so I at all times mentioned sure, even after I was pregnant with my son.
We had this one journey collectively the place she requested me to put in writing a music for Ariana Huffington’s guide launch, which was going to incorporate Ariana Huffington rapping. The guide was referred to as Proper is Improper, it was about how the proper wing of politics tended to be incorrect. We wrote this music round that title with a rap by Ariana within the center. Ariana got here to my dwelling studio to file the rap, after which for the precise guide launch, we ended up on a personal jet to Larry Ellison’s home in San Francisco to carry out the music with Ariana in entrance of Nancy Pelosi. This was 2007 earlier than Obama was elected. That was one in all my large adventures with Jill. Larry David and his spouse have been there, Nora Ephron. It was a kind of ‘what is going on’ form of issues, a wild journey.
That was simply one in all them. One other one was once we opened for Bernie Sanders on his 2016 presidential tour. We went to Iowa and did one of many rallies. We carried out because the “Sandrews Sisters.” We wrote a music about web neutrality. She’d say there was a chance, I’d say ‘nice, come over and we’ll write it.’ Kay would come by way of and do it too, after which there could be some bizarre alternative to carry out it in the home of a billionaire.
She was by no means a namedropper. It was by no means flexing in any approach. She fully transcended any of that bullshit a part of movie star and simply floated above it. Folks like Kara Swisher cherished her. She was a key participant with out being a participant. She was like lesbian mafia. She was like a muse of a political motion and actually satirized the extra ridiculous issues about the proper wing.
The opposite factor that’s form of heartbreaking about this, so many individuals have been slogging by way of this political time. We’re simply ready to get to the midterms questioning how we get by way of this with out fully conceding democracy as we all know it. And what we have been trying ahead to with working with Jill was to seek out an outlet for that worry and dread and exploring the flip facet of the ridiculousness and the humorous. That was at all times the train together with her, discovering the humorous within the horrible. We have been actually trying ahead to writing. It nonetheless hasn’t hit me that we’re not going to have the ability to do this.
She was untethered in the easiest way. Some individuals once they’re untethered will float off, untethered is sort of a step to unhinged. However she was by no means unhinged. It was only a freedom that doesn’t exist in individuals anymore, She was a free spirit. She didn’t have youngsters, she had some critical relationships in her life. However a part of the cope with her is that she was gonna be transferring round. She was completely magnetic. And I might see individuals feeling just a little jealous of that freedom that she had. However there was no different approach she may very well be.
As a songwriter, she was inspiring, but additionally she introduced it too. She was an inspiration for concepts, however by no means bossy or overwhelming. She was actually good at taking part in with others, and ultimate in a approach, as a result of she didn’t decide your concepts, she didn’t shut you down. She was simply buoyant and had a relentless movement. Once we wrote, we have been by no means attempting to put in writing hits or something like that. We had an project, and we might follow the project, which was to put in writing a ridiculous music about one thing to do with coverage or politics. It was by no means exhausting. It was at all times straightforward.
We have been doing a variety of our adventuring after I was pregnant with my son. She knew him as just a little child, she’d see him each on occasion however didn’t know him like she knew me. The final time she was right here a number of weeks in the past, we have been writing, and he or she stayed after. My son got here dwelling from faculty, he’s 17 now. They dug one another, they actually hit it off. She left and he went down this complete Jill wormhole of her songwriting. The following day he raves about how she’s this heavy songwriter and names all these songs like Underdog Victorious and Mexican wrestler. As a result of she’s my pal, I fully took it as a right these genius moments.
That jogged my memory what a motherfucking songwriter she was, it’s straightforward to overlook whenever you’re simply fascinated with her as your pal. For all of the persona, the humor of her persona, beneath that was this songwriting brilliance that I actually hope individuals uncover, rediscover, and can really admire. She was magical.
