Jennifer Finch, the longtime bassist of pioneering grunge outfit L7, has died aged 59 following a brief battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer.
The influential musician’s death was confirmed by her bandmates on Saturday, who paid tribute to Finch as a “beloved bandmate, friend, and fellow troublemaker” after more than three decades of shared history.
“She had a long courageous fight with brain cancer and was loved by many wonderful friends, musical peers and fans worldwide”
“She had a long courageous fight with brain cancer and was loved by many wonderful friends, musical peers and fans worldwide,” Donita Sparks, Suzi Gardner and Dee Plakas wrote in a joint statement.
Finch had been due to reunite with L7 for the band’s upcoming farewell tour later this year, but announced only last week that she had been diagnosed with brain cancer and had given the band her blessing to continue without her.
Her passing comes just two years after L7 returned to Australia to perform Bricks Are Heavy in full, before making another trip Down Under as part of the 2024 Good Things festival.
Formed in Los Angeles in the mid-’80s, L7 became one of the defining bands of the grunge explosion while helping carve out space for women in a rock scene overwhelmingly dominated by men.
After joining the band in 1986, Finch played on seminal releases including Smell The Magic and the landmark 1992 album Bricks Are Heavy, which featured the enduring alternative anthem Pretend We’re Dead.
Beyond their music, L7 became synonymous with feminist activism, co-founding the Rock for Choice concert series in 1991 to raise funds and awareness for reproductive rights while inspiring generations of women to pick up guitars, basses and drumsticks.
Although Finch left L7 in 1996, she remained an important figure within alternative music, launching her own label, Little Pusher Records, and performing with projects including The Shocker and OtherStarPeople before rejoining the band for their celebrated 2014 reunion. She also appeared on L7’s acclaimed 2019 comeback album Scatter The Rats.
Away from music, Finch was also a respected photographer, documenting Los Angeles’ punk and underground music communities throughout the 1980s.
Tributes have poured in from across the music world following news of her death, including messages from Courtney Love, Garbage, The Go-Go’s bassist Kathy Valentine and Lunachicks.
Jennifer Finch is survived by her daughter, L7 bandmates, family and countless fans whose lives were changed by her music and fearless presence on and off stage.
Further Reading
NEWS FLASHBACK: L7 Cancel Australian Tour Due To “Family Health Emergency”
Garbage Turn Sydney Show Into a Call for Love, Hours After Bondi Terror Attack
