Jennifer Finch, founding L7 bassist and songwriter, dies at 59
Jennifer Finch of music group L7 performs onstage at The Art Of Elysium Presents WE ARE HEAR'S HEAVEN 2020 at Hollywood Palladium on January 04, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for The Art of Elysium)
Jennifer Finch, the bassist, singer and songwriter best known for her work with the pioneering rock band L7, died Saturday. She was 59.
Finch died after battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, according to Variety.
What they're saying:
"With a very heavy heart we announce that our beloved bandmate, friend, and fellow troublemaker Jennifer Finch has passed away today," the band wrote on Instagram. "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."
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The backstory:
According to her official website, Finch was born on Aug. 5, 1966, in Los Angeles after being born at the Salvation Army Home for Unwed Mothers.
She was adopted as an infant by aeronautics engineer Robert Edward Finch and Sandra Jacobson and was raised in Los Angeles.3
Finch developed a passion for punk music as a child after being introduced to bands like the Ramones, Blondie and The Clash by an older neighborhood friend. She began taking guitar lessons at 11, attended a Ramones concert with her guitar teacher and later immersed herself in the Southern California punk scene, photographing influential bands including The Cramps and Dead Kennedys. After graduating high school early, she briefly studied computer science at San Francisco State University before leaving college to pursue music full time.
In the mid-1980s, Finch played in the short-lived band Sugar Baby Doll alongside Courtney Love and Kat Bjelland before returning to Los Angeles in 1986 to join the all-female rock band L7 as its bassist.
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According to her website, L7 signed with Epitaph Records and later Sub Pop, becoming the label's first "Single of the Month" artist in 1990. During her decade with the band, Finch toured internationally with acts including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, the Smashing Pumpkins and the Beastie Boys, performed at major festivals such as Lollapalooza, Reading and Glastonbury, and helped launch the Rock for Choice concert series with the Feminist Majority.
After leaving L7 in 1996, Finch formed Other Star People, later fronted The Shocker and founded Little Pusher Records. She also produced a Ramones tribute album benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and saw her 1995 Warped Tour Diaries featured in an exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Finch adopted the middle name "Precious" after her father's death in 1995, honoring the nickname he had given her, according to her official website.
The Source: This story is based on multiple sources, including Variety, which first reported Jennifer Finch's death and said she died after battling an aggressive form of brain cancer. Additional biographical information and career details came from Finch's official website, while L7 confirmed her death and shared a tribute in a post on the band's official Instagram account. This story was reported from Los Angeles.