L7’s Jennifer Finch Dies at 59 a Week After Revealing Aggressive Brain Cancer Diagnosis

Bailey RichardsMon, July 20, 2026 at 6:10 PM UTC

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Credit: Jennifer Finch -

Jennifer Finch died at age 59 on July 19, her bandmates and family announced on social media

The L7 bassist’s death comes days after the band announced that she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer

Finch was known for her work as a bassist with L7 in the grunge band’s original run, and her work in several other musical groups

Jennifer Finch, longtime bassist for L7 and a fixture of the ‘90s grunge scene, has died. She was 59.

Finch died on Sunday, July 19, just days after her L7 bandmates announced that she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, and therefore would not be joining the group on its final tour. Her bandmates and family announced her death on social media.

“With a very heavy heart we announce that our beloved bandmate, friend, and fellow troublemaker Jennifer Finch has passed away today,” the official L7 Instagram account wrote while announcing the bassist’s death.

“She had a long courageous fight with brain cancer and was loved by many wonderful friends, musical peers and fans worldwide,” the band’s post continued. “We love you Jennifer.”

Jennifer Finch performs with L7 in Los Angeles in January 2020Credit: Rich Polk/Getty

Finch’s family announced her death with a photo of the musician in a separate Instagram post. “We are devastated to announce the death of our partner, sister, daughter, and friend Jennifer Precious Finch,” the post read. “Jennifer’s impact on the world of music was seismic; her impact on our lives, even moreso.”

“We appreciate everyone’s interest and concern, thank you for all the kind messages. We appreciate some space to heal privately during this difficult time,” the post concluded.

The posts announcing Finch’s death drew tributes from every corner of the music and entertainment world, from Garbage and No Doubt’s Tony Kanal to Norman Reedus and Violet Grohl.

L7 also celebrated her impact on the “Pretend We’re Dead” rockers in a statement shared through a representative of the band.

“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,” the band said in the statement obtained by PEOPLE. “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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News of the bassist’s death at 59 comes less than a week after her bandmates shared her diagnosis in a joint statement on Instagram on Monday, July 13.

“Our beloved bandmate, sister and friend Jennifer Finch has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer,” the band wrote at the time. “Following multiple surgeries and serious complications, Jennifer now requires extensive medical care, rehabilitation and professional in-home support.”

Finch decided to drop out of the band’s final tour, The Last Hurrah Tour, amid her cancer diagnosis, but asked that the band continue without her, according to the post. It is unclear whether the tour will be affected by news of Finch’s death.

The band also shared that they, along with Finch’s friends and family, launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to “help cover these urgent expenses and allow her to remain safely at home with the care, dignity and support she needs.” The fundraiser exceeded its $350,000 goal shortly after.

Jennifer Finch performing with L7 in New York City in July 1994Credit: Ebet Roberts/Redferns

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Finch was born on Aug. 5, 1966 and grew up in Los Angeles, per Pitchfork. According to the outlet, her introduction to the music scene came as she struck up an interest in photography, shooting punk bands like the Cramps before later joining Courtney Love‘s pre-Hole band Sugar Babydoll in 1984.

Shortly after, she joined L7 along with drummer Dee Plakas in 1986, the year after it was co-founded by singer-guitarists Suzi Gardner and Donita Sparks; Finch was determined to join the feminist rockers despite not having any formal bass training, according to Pitchfork.

Finch stayed on as the band’s bassist — and played on four of six of the LPs the band recorded throughout the group’s original run — until her exit in 1996. She also played in bands OtherStarPeople, Pandoras and the Shocker, and outside of music, continued to work as a photographer. She later reunited with L7 in 2015.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”