Jennifer Finch, Bassist for Rock Band L7, Has Died at 59
The 59-year-old rocker who was a vocal supporter of human rights had been battling an aggressive form of brain cancer.
The LGBTQ-rights ally and bassist for the iconic ‘90s all-woman rock band L7, Jennifer Lynch, died Saturday from brain cancer.
She was 59.
A GoFundMe posted by family and friends announced earlier this month that she had been undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer after battling thyroid cancer in 2011.
It said Finch needed the support for her medical costs. It also shared that at first Finch thought the cancer would be treatable. “Unforeseen complications led to multiple surgeries and a string of difficult setbacks,” it read.
People have donated almost $400,000 to that fundraiser, which was also meant to support a creative project of Finch’s cross-media work and legacy.
“With a very heavy heart we announce that our beloved bandmate, friend, and fellow troublemaker Jennifer Finch has passed away today,” a post on L7’s Instagram account said. “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.”
Additionally, a statement shared via the band’s rep to Rolling Stone said, “We are shattered by the loss of our beloved bandmate, sister and friend Jennifer Finch, 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. We love her beyond words and will carry her with us always. Rest in power our dear friend.”
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“My name is Jennifer Precious Finch and I have been servicing punk rockers, artsy types and queers since 1984,” she told told Guitar World in an interview published last year.
Finch was born on August 5, 1966, and grew up in Los Angeles, according to Pitchfork. She was interested in photography at a young age and would photograph her early punk days as a teen as the scene developed. She joined Courtney Love’s band Sugar Babydoll in 1984 before going on to play with L7 in 1987 — the band had formed two years prior. At the time, she didn’t really know how to play bass. She left the band in 1996 before rejoining in 2014 after L7 announced union tours. Until her recent diagnosis, she was planning to join the band on its upcoming tour. In addition to her music and photography, Finch was a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and more.
“L7 ain’t over yet. I’m in my 50s now and we still get to be examples,” Finch told Guitar World. “But also we get to fail publicly in a way that we couldn’t do in our 20s. I’ve never felt directly responsible for anyone picking up a guitar – pick up your own fucking guitar! It’s a thing you gotta do or do not. I’m very heart-warmed when particularly women say, ‘Because of you, I got into politics’ or ‘I got my medical degree because of you.’ You know, fighting for housing rights, that’s awesome.”
Since her death, tributes have poured in from fellow bands and singers.
“Rest in power beautiful Jennifer Finch. I’m so relieved to know you are no longer suffering. Our sincere condolences to [L7] and everyone who ever loved you. Family, fans, friends and fellows. This is a terrible loss for music and our entire musical community,” fellow grunge rockers Garbage posted.
Kathy Valentine, bassist for the Go-Go’s, wrote, “I don’t know if there’s a bass player in our community who wasn’t inspired by Jennifer. I sure was.”
She added: “The Go-Go’s weren’t together when L7 started playing, but when we got back together on the 90’s, I took the lessons I learned watching her perform and stepped back into my band with a fresh new attitude of how I wanted to occupy that space. I wish I’d told her that.”
