Sam Rivers, Limp Bizkit bassist & founding member, dies aged 48

Sam Rivers, the founding member and bassist of Limp Bizkit, has died.

He was 48.

The cause of death has not been revealed.

The band revealed the news on Oct. 18 in a tribute on Instagram, titled “In Loving Memory of Our Brother, Sam Rivers”.

“Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” Limp Bizkit wrote on Saturday of Rivers, who was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and was part of the original formation of Limp Bizkit in 1994, alongside vocalist Fred Durst and drummer Otto.

Guitarist Wes Borland and DJ Lethal joined in 1996.

“Sam Rivers wasn’t just our bass player — he was pure magic,” the tribute said.

“The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound. From the first note we ever played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced. His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous.”

The statement continued: “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. And his spirit will live forever in every groove, every stage, every memory. We love you, Sam. We’ll carry you with us, always. Rest easy, brother. Your music never ends.”

DJ Lethal left a comment on Instagram, writing: “We love you Sam Rivers. Please respect the family’s privacy at this moment."

He continued: "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.”

History

Rivers first met Durst while working at a Chick-fil-A in a mall in Jacksonville.

The pair played together in the band Malachi Sage before forming the nu-metal group Limp Bizkit in 1994.

Limp Bizkit’s breakthrough came with the 1997 debut album, "Three Dollar Bill, Y’all".

It included their cover version of George Michael’s “Faith”, which got a lot of radio airplay and had a music video in rotation on MTV.

Their 1999 sophomore album "Significant Other" reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the first time.

It got three Grammy nominations for best rock album and best hard rock performance for “Nookie” and “Take a Look Around”.

The 2000 album "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water" also hit the Billboard 200 No. 1.

Limp Bizkit has released a six full-length studio albums.

The most recent was 2021’s "Still Sucks".

Rivers was diagnosed with liver disease in 2011 and received a liver transplant in 2017.

He took a short hiatus from Limp Bizkit during this period, but was back with the band by 2018.

Top photo via Wikipedia & Limp Bizkit Brasil YouTube