Jill Sobule: Groundbreaking musician dies in Minneapolis house fire

Her song I Kissed a Girl is widely considered the first openly gay themed song to crack the Billboard Top 20.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveGroundbreaking musician Jill Sobule dies in house fire1 day agoShareSaveGeorge WrightBBC NewsShareSaveGetty ImagesSobule's satirical anthem Supermodel featured in the 1995 comedy CluelessJill Sobule, a groundbreaking US 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 Minneapolis, Minnesota, 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, Colorado 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.