Jill Sobule: I Kissed A Girl singer who featured on Clueless soundtrack dies aged 66 in Minnesota house fire

The body of the musician, who is best known for her groundbreaking 1995 hit song I Kissed A Girl, was found in a home in Woodbury, Minnesota on Thursday, May 1. Her death was confirmed by her manager, John Porter.

Porter said in a statement to the the Hollywood Reporter: “Jill Sobule 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 and a friend today. I hope her music, memory and legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”

Authorities are investigating the house fire and the cause of the blaze.

Sobule hit her peak of fame during the 1990s, when her single Supermodel featured on the soundtrack for the seminal 90s teen film Clueless, and was used prominently in the film’s famous makeover scene. Her single I Kissed A Girl is widely regarded as the first openly LGBTQ+-themed song to chart in the US’s Billboard Top 20 Singles chart. I Kissed A Girl experienced a resurgence when pop star Katy Perry released a song under the same name in 2008.

Sobule is also considered a pioneer of using crowdfunding to release albums later in her career. She also wrote music for theatre and television, which include the opening title theme for Nickelodeon show Unfabulous.

Tributes have poured in for the late singer-songwriter. Musician Lloyd Cole said in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “Oh, boy. Our dear friend @jillsobule has died. I'm really too numb to post much of anything. We loved her. She loved us. She was wonderful, brilliant, hilarious. We miss her, so much.”

Rock band The Fixx added: “We are absolutely devastated and shocked to hear the news of @jillsobule's untimely passing. Jill just finished a tour with us several days ago and was so full of life and talent. Our hearts are broken. We will always miss her.”