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Jennifer Finch, the bass guitarist behind Los Angeles punk group L7, has died. Her death comes only days after the announcement that she was battling an aggressive form of brain cancer. She was 59.
Finch’s L7 bandmates Suzi Gardner, Donita Sparks and Dee Plakas confirmed the news in a statement shared on social media.
“With a very heavy heart we announce that our beloved bandmate, friend, and fellow troublemaker Jennifer Finch has passed away today,” they wrote. “She had a long courageous fight with brain cancer and was loved by many wonderful friends, musical peers and fans worldwide. We love you Jennifer.”
In a separate statement shared by the band’s publicist, L7 described Finch as a “true original” whose “fierce spirit, humor and boundless creativity helped shape L7 and changed all of our lives forever.”
“Jennifer was a true original who lived entirely on her own terms, and the impact she made on music, art and everyone lucky enough to know her cannot be measured,” the band said. “We love her beyond words and will carry her with us always. Rest in power our dear friend.”
Finch announced her withdrawal from L7’s Last Hurrah farewell tour earlier this month to deal with her health, which required extensive medical care and in-home support.
The news of her death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the music world, including from Tom Morello, Garbage, Violet Grohl and Courtney Love.
“God bless her. An important fixture of the LA scene, a super cool person, a true artist with a kind and welcoming heart,” Morello wrote. “I loved, respected and admired her greatly. She will be missed.”
Love, who performed with Finch in the pre-Hole band Sugar Babydoll, honored her memory with a photo tribute.
Finch joined L7 in 1986, becoming part of the band’s best-known lineup alongside Gardner, Sparks and Plakas. Her bass playing helped power Bricks Are Heavy, the 1992 album that brought L7 a wider audience in the alt-rock scene.
She left L7 in 1996 and went on to perform with Other Star People and the Shocker before returning to L7 following the band’s 2014 reunion. She also worked as a photographer, writer and visual artist.
In May, L7 announced the Last Hurrah, a farewell tour scheduled to begin in October. Although Finch was forced to withdraw from the tour due to her cancer diagnosis, the band said she asked them to continue with the shows as planned.
A GoFundMe campaign to help cover FInch’s medical costs has raised almost $400,000 at the time of writing. Finch’s family and friends continue to accept donations toward the ongoing archive project through GoFundMe. Some of those proceeds will also go toward preserving Finch’s legacy by creating an archive of her artistic and creative work.
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