Jill Sobule, whose 1995 single “I Kissed a Girl” was the first song with openly gay themes to hit the Billboard Top 20, died Thursday morning in a house fire in Woodbury.
Sobule, 66, was identified as the victim by her manager, John Porter, in a statement Thursday.
The Denver native’s career spanned nearly four decades and also included the single “Supermodel,” best known as part of the soundtrack for the 1995 movie “Clueless.”
“Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture,” Porter said. “I hope her music, memory and legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”
Woodbury police were called to the 9000 block of Pinehurst Road at 5:30 a.m. on a report of a fire. Responders found the house fully engulfed in flames.
Homeowners told responders that one person was possibly inside the home, where police found a woman in her 60s dead. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Porter said Sobule was in Minnesota to record a podcast and help prepare for a performance of a musical she wrote that’s scheduled for June 11 at Minneapolis’ Parkway Theater.
She was set to perform Friday at a show in Denver. She is survived by a brother and sister-in-law.
