L7 bassist Jennifer Finch has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Her bandmates shared the news on Monday (July 13), only two months after they announced they would be hitting the road for their final ‘The Last Hurrah Tour’, which is due to begin on October 6 in San Diego.
Finch will no longer be joining the band on tour, but – per their statement – has asked them to continue on without her.
“We are all devastated by the news and are surrounding her with love, protecting her privacy and dignity, while helping raise the resources she urgently needs for the care ahead,” L7’s frontwoman Donita Sparks said in a separate statement. “Jennifer is family, and we want her to feel the full strength of the community that has loved and supported her for so many years.”
Finch’s friends and family have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with the high expenses of her treatments, recovery and ongoing care.
“When she first heard the diagnosis, there was reason to believe that treatment, including a full course of radiation, would get her back to some version of normal living. Unforeseen complications led to multiple surgeries and a string of difficult setbacks,” the GoFundMe page explains. “The cancer and everything that comes with it have left her with significant physical limitations so she’s handling this the only way she knows how: one day at a time.”
The GoFundMe campaign continues to say that Finch’s friends and family are no longer sufficient to help with the level of around-the-clock care required, and are now seeking outside help for the musician.
Donations will help cover physical therapy, in-home nursing care and other home care, medical expenses, legal fees and much more. “These funds will also help to ensure Jennifer’s life work keeps making noise long after this moment,” the campaign says.
According to the statement, Finch’s cancer was initially believed to be addressable with treatment and radiation. However, it “progressed rapidly” and required her to “undergo multiple surgeries” that “have resulted in significant physical limitations.”
R.E.M‘s Michael Stipe is among those sharing the fundraiser, writing on Bluesky: “Punk rock and alternative music would not be what it is or where it is without Jennifer Finch. We send loving energy to her. Please—if you can—every contribution helps. Thanks, xx Michael”
L7 was originally formed in 1985 and released their seminal, eponymous debut album in 1987. They went on to release five more albums before splitting up in 2001.
They reunited with their classic line-up in 2015, with the band comprised of singer and guitarist Donita Sparks, guitarist Suzi Gardner, bassist Finch and drummer Dee Plakas.
In 2017, L7 released their first material in 18 years – in the form of anti-Trump track ‘Dispatch From Mar-A-Lago’. It was followed by ‘I Came Back To Bitch’ back in February. The ’90s cult icons also released the documentary, L7: Pretend We’re Not Dead, which was nominated for a VO5 NME Award in 2018, and released their latest album ‘Scatter the Rats’ the following year.