Green Day, Garbage, Pearl Jam and more have donated money to help L7 bassist Jennifer Finch’s as she faces an aggressive type of brain cancer, and over $300,000 has already been raised.
Finch’s bandmates shared news of the diagnosis 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 in October.
With the update, they shared that they were “all devastated by the news” and wanted to “protect her privacy and dignity, while helping raise the resources she urgently needs for the care ahead.”
They launched a GoFundMe page too, encouraging fans to help with the high expenses of her treatments, recovery and ongoing care – and after less than three days, over $300,000 has already been raised.
The initial goal was to raise $150,000, but this has now been doubled and raised to $350,000. As well as L7 fans, many of the biggest donations have also come from fellow artists.
After sharing a post saying that they were “devastated” to hear the news of the diagnosis and encouraging fans to help raise money, Garbage donated $8,000 to the GoFundMe Page. Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament has donated $5,000, as has Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna and Adrienne Armstrong, the wife of Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong.
Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan donated $2,500 as did Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman, Brian “Head” Welch from KoRn donated $1,000, as did Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto. One of the biggest donations came from Religion guitarist/Epitaph Records founder Brett Gurewitz, with him and his wife Gina donating $10,000.
There is also a contribution from an anonymous donor too, which saw them donate an impressive $40,000 to the cause.
In an update on the GoFundMe page, Finch’s friend Aubree Miller (who organised the campaign) said that they were “absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the support, love and how far this campaign went”.
“We are all so grateful for the community showing up far and wide to support Jennifer,” the update continued. “One comment we received said, ‘You have an army behind you,’ and with the support we are receiving we truly feel that. When that comment came in I immediately read it to Jennifer and it touched her so much.”
Miller also shared praise for L7 for their strength and support, as well as for Courtney Love, adding that “without them this wouldn’t have been possible”.
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When the sad announcement was made about the diagnosis earlier this week, numerous artists came together to raise awareness for the GoFundMe page. As well as Garbage who described the bassist as “such a special soul and needs serious medical care,” R.E.M‘s Michael Stipe also got involved.
Sharing the fundraiser, he wrote 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”
Finch will no longer be joining the band when they go on tour later this year, but – per their statement – has asked them to continue on without her.
The band reunited with their classic line-up in 2015, after splitting up in 2001. 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.
