(Image via handout)

Jill Sobule, whose 1995 hit “I Kissed a Girl” was a groundbreaking queer tune on the Billboard charts, has died tragically in a house fire.

The singer-songwriter died early Thursday in Minneapolis.

Her manager John Porter said in a statement:

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, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others.

Go-Go's member Jane Wiedlin wrote on Facebook:

I am devastated to post that the great Jill Sobule perished in a fire this morning. Jill was not only a genius songwriter but an incredible human being. KV and I co-wrote the Go-Go’s song “Daisy Chain” with Jill, who was primarily known for her 1995 hit 'I Kissed A Girl'…not to be confused w a later tune that took that title. I feel lucky that she was in my life and heartbroken that she has left us far too soon.

She was referencing Katy Perry's pilfering of the title for her own 2008 debut single. Sobule once said of Perry:

Fuck you Katy Perry, you fucking stupid, maybe “not good for the gays,” title-thieving, haven’t-heard-much-else-so-not-quite-sure-if-you’re-talented fucking little slut.

But it was not widely reported that she was joking. She later said she had some small relief to no longer be that woman who sang “I Kissed a Girl.”

Sobule was born January 19, 1959, in Denver — a city in which she had been set to perform Friday, the day after her tragic death.

Her first album was Things Here Are Different. Though produced by Todd Rundgren and widely praised, it was not a hit, and her next album was never released.

In 1995, her self-titled album spawned “I Kissed a Girl” — no. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 — as well as the rockin' “Supermodel,” which appeared on the soundtrack for Clueless.

Her follow-up, Happy Town, was even more praised, but sales led her label to drop her. She went on to release another eight studio albums, and was a trailblazer in the field of crowdsourcing records.

Sobule acted in Mind the Gap (2004), performed the theme song for Unfabulous (2005) on Nickelodeon and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her solo show F*ck7thGrade (2023).

Such a talented, upbeat figure to go out like this.