Pinhead Gunpowder vocalist/guitarist Sarah Kirsch dies

News of admired Bay Area punk musician’s death swept the internet this week. Forty-two-year-old Sarah Kirsch, born Mike Kirsh, died Dec. 5, according to a post by Maximum RocknRoll, after a long-time battle against a rare genetic disease known as Fanconi Anemia. Kirsch, who changed her name to Sarah after coming out as transgender, contributed to a number of Bay Area punk bands including:

Pinhead Gunpowder (which also featured Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The Skinflutes
John Henry West
Fuel
Silver Bearing
Sawhorse
Navio Forge
Fifteen
Torches to Rome
Sixteen Bullets
Bread and Circuits
Please Inform The Captain This Is A Hijack
Colbom
Baader Brains
Mothercountry Motherfuckers

Maximum RocknRoll’s post includes a from-the-heart obituary from Spencer Rangitsch, friend and member of Kirsch’s two most recent musical projects, Baader Brains and Mothercountry Motherfuckers:

“Nothing I can say in this setting can do any real justice to the impact Sarah Kirsch had on my life and the lives of so many others. She was by far the most inspiring person I will ever encounter in my brief time on this Earth. She was also my best friend. The experiences of that friendship, and her direct impact on my life, shaped who I am today  more than any other person. She had an affect and a presence and a spirit that will be well remembered — I will carry it with me forever.”

You can make a donation to help with Sarah’s medical expenses here.