Jennifer Finch, bassist for the influential punk band L7, passed away last month from brain cancer at age 59. Her death has prompted tributes from prominent figures across the music industry who knew her throughout her career and personal life.
Finch’s connections to the Los Angeles music scene stretched back decades. Flea recalled meeting her as a teenager in the early 1980s and teaching her bass fundamentals, later witnessing her musical growth with L7. Courtney Love described Finch as a steadfast friend after arriving in Los Angeles in 1983, bonding over shared musical interests and learning guitar together. Tom Morello credited Finch with welcoming him to the city and supporting his artistic development before his rise to prominence. Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins praised her commitment to helping aspiring musicians, particularly young women pursuing careers in music.
Finch’s legacy extends beyond her performances with L7, the band she joined after establishing herself on the local punk circuit. Her posthumous memoir, titled “Shooting Up and Making Out: A Memoir of My Life in LA and L7,” co-written with Jeff Alulis, is scheduled for release in January 2027 through Da Capo. The book offers Finch’s perspective on navigating the music industry while maintaining her punk ethos and personal relationships with influential artists of her era.
Originally reported by Rollingstone →
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