Rolling Stone has published a personal tribute written by Courtney Love to her close friend Jennifer Finch, the L7 bassist who died in July at the age of 59 following a brain cancer diagnosis. The two met in Hollywood in 1983 and remained devoted friends for over four decades, with Finch supporting Love through pivotal moments including the death of her husband, Kurt Cobain, in 1994, and Love in turn staying by Finch's side after her cancer diagnosis this June.

In the tribute, Love recalls arriving in Hollywood as a teenager with nothing, and describes Finch's family home as offering her the closest thing to stability she had ever known. She credits Finch with introducing her to Pat Smear, who later joined Nirvana on Love's recommendation, and with vouching for her to Flea, which led to Hole using the Red Hot Chili Peppers' rehearsal space. Before their respective bands L7 and Hole, the pair had played together in Sugar Babydoll alongside future Babes in Toyland singer Kat Bjelland; Love also notes that Finch remained sober for 37 years. Finch's memoir, co-written with Jeff Alulis, is due for publication via Da Capo on 19 January.