A member of the legendary nu metal group Limp Bizkit, bassist Sam Rivers, has died at the age of 48.
Late on Saturday, October 19, Limp Bizkit announced their bassist had passed away. The rock group broke the news to their fans on Instagram, stating, “In Loving Memory of Our Brother, Sam Rivers. Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat.
“Sam Rivers wasn’t just our bass player – he was pure magic. The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound.”
Fans will also remember Sam Rivers for providing backing vocals on many Limp Bizkit tracks, a group he founded alongside rapper-singer Fred Durst and drummer John Otto, who was also his childhood friend. The band continued, “From the first note we ever played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced.”
The band’s heartbroken tribute went on to praise the qualities Sam added to Limp Bizkit’s global success, adding: “His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous. We shared so many moments – wild ones, quiet ones, beautiful ones – and every one of them meant more because Sam was there.
“He was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of human. A true legend of legends,” they added. “And his spirit will live forever in every groove, every stage, every memory.”
The band concluded, “We love you, Sam. We’ll carry you with us, always. Rest easy, brother. Your music never ends. – Fred, Wes, John and DJ Lethal.”
In the comment section below the band’s tribute, DJ Lethal added to the band’s outpouring of grief, telling his decades-old friend to “rest in power.”
He said: “We love you, Sam Rivers. Please respect the family’s privacy at this moment. Give Sam his flowers and play Sam Rivers basslines all day! We are in shock.
“Rest in power my brother ! You will live on through your music and the lives you helped save with your music, charity work and friendships. We are heartbroken enjoy every millisecond of life. It’s not guaranteed.”
Much of Sam’s life was dedicated to music. During his adolescence, he played with the band’s drummer, John Otto. He hadn’t met Fred until the early 1990s when the two worked at the same Chick-fil-A restaurant.
In 1994, the three became the original members of Limp Bizkit. It wasn’t until two years later that they added guitarist Wes Borland and DJ Lethal to their group.
Over the next 20 years, the group became a worldwide phenomenon, dropping hit singles like Break Stuff, Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle) and My Way.
In 2015, Sam briefly left the group due to his struggles with a liver disease that had developed from years of excessive drinking, the MirrorUS reports.
Recalling the moment he was hospitalised due to his condition, he said to Metal Injection, “It got so bad I had to go to UCLA Hospital, and the doctor said, ‘If you don’t stop, you’re going to die. And right now, you’re looking like you need a new liver.'”
He eventually returned to Limp Bizkit in 2018 after focusing on bettering his health.
“I quit drinking and did everything the doctors told me. I got treatment for the alcohol and got a liver transplant, which was a perfect match,” he told Loudwire. “I’m back, and I feel amazing.”
