Ground-breaking musician dies in Minneapolis house fire

Jill Sobule, a ground-breaking American songwriter whose hit I Kissed a Girl is widely considered the first song with openly-gay themes to crack the Billboard Top 20, has died in a house fire in the US city of Minneapolis, her publicist has said.

Sobule, whose satirical anthem Supermodel featured in the 1995 coming-of-age film Clueless, was 66.

She had been due to perform on Friday in her home city of Denver to showcase songs from her autobiographical stage musical. A free gathering will now take place in her honour.

Tributes have been pouring in on social media, including from English musician Lloyd Cole, who said: “I’m really too numb to post much of anything. We loved her. She loved us.”

Born in 1959, Sobule’s career spanned three decades, her music dealing with topics including the death penalty, anorexia and LGBTQ+ rights.

But her most famous work came on her eponymous 1995 album, which included Supermodel and I Kissed a Girl.

The latter drew renewed attention in 2008 when Katy Perry released a different single of her own with the same title.

Sobule later became a pioneer of using crowdfunding to release albums, and wrote music for theatre and television shows, including the theme for the Nickelodeon show Unfabulous.

John Porter, Sobule’s manager, said she 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 & a friend today. I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”

Eric Alper, a Canadian music correspondent, posted on X that she “paved the way with heart, humour, and honesty. The first openly gay artist to break the Billboard Top 20, her songs like “I Kissed a Girl” and “Supermodel” changed the soundtrack – and the conversation”.

“Jill Sobule was so special. Heartbreaking news,” American actress Carrie Coon posted.

Police in the suburb of Woodbury are investigating the cause of the fire at the house where Sobule was found, the Star Tribune reported.