Jennifer Finch of the ’90s grunge rock band L7 has died at 59 after an announcement appeared on her Instagram page sharing that she was facing “an aggressive form of brain cancer.”
Immediately after the announcement, fans began flooding the post’s comments with love and sentimental notes. It had already racked up almost 3,000 comments four hours after being shared.
The July 18 post that broke the news of Finch’s death reads, “We are devastated to announce the death of our partner, sister, daughter, and friend Jennifer Precious Finch. 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 message, which was not signed by anyone, comes 6 days after an update appeared on the musician’s page announcing she was facing cancer. The note, which said it came from “Jennifer’s loved ones,” did not specify the exact name of the type she was battling.
Courtney Love Reacts to the Loss of Jennifer Finch
Courtney Love, former frontwoman of the alt-rock band Hole and Kurt Cobain’s wife, reacted to the loss of her fellow grunge icon by sharing an uncaptioned throwback photo of the singer.
A few days before that, Love called L7 “one of the most important bands in history” and declared, “someone we’re all honored to call a friend is gravely ill.”
Jennifer Finch’s Sudden Passing Comes a Few Days After a GoFundMe Was Started to Raise Money for Her Care
The same day the team behind Finch’s account announced her brain cancer diagnosis, they also asked fans to help raise money for her care by donating to a GoFundMe.
The account received incredible support, raising almost $400,000 since being opened six days ago. The single highest donation was for $44,000.
The person running the fundraiser shared an unsigned note on July 14 that read, “We are absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the support, love and how far this campaign went yesterday. We are all so grateful for the community showing up far and wide to support Jennifer.”
They also reflected on a personal story that showed how Finch’s bold determination shined through in a moment of friendship.
They wrote:
When I was 25, I had horrible cramps – I reached out to Jennifer to ask her what to do – she replied by coming over and DRAGGING me out of the house and to the hospital.
Once she had enough of me laying on a gurney in the hallway she wanted to hurry up the process of me being seen so she started SCREAMING, “Syphilitic Insanity! She has Syphilitic Insanity.” She walked up and down the hallway pointing at me while she screamed, “Syphilitic Insanity!” The hospital staff ran calm the situation and she pointed them in my direction.
Though I clearly didn’t have syphilitic insanity, I got helped within minutes- much faster than I would have otherwise if Jennifer hadn’t MADE NOISE.
Those around Finch did not seem to anticipate that her death would come so soon, as they explained in the initial post about her cancer that they were raising money to cover “professional in-home nursing care, physical and speech therapy, medical equipment, home-care expenses, and the essential support Jennifer needs to live with as much comfort, dignity, autonomy, and quality of life as possible.”
Fans Fondly Remember Jennifer Finch
GettyThe post announcing the loss of Finch was quickly flooded with loving comments from her admirers. One wrote, “There aren’t a lot of women that give their lives to rock n roll, to punk, to being in a band of all women….. I loved you, buddy!”
Another chimed in, “I have no words, only tears….. she will be dearly and fiercely missed. Rest in power, Jennifer. Fly high angel.”
