Limp Bizkit Announces Death of Bassist Sam Rivers at 48: ‘We Lost Our Brother’

Rivers had previously battled health issues, undergoing a liver transplant in 2017 for alcohol-induced liver disease.

Fred Durst (L) and Sam Rivers from the band Limp Bizkit perform onstage at the Estéreo Picnic Festival in Bogotá, Colombia, on March 21, 2024. Photo by Juan Pablo Pino/AFP via Getty Images

The Fred Durst-fronted nu metal band Limp Bizkit has announced the death of its bassist and founding member, Sam Rivers, who died over the weekend at the age of 48.

Members of the rap-rock group, including guitarist Wes Borland, drummer John Otto, and turntablist DJ Lethal, shared the news in an Oct. 18 Instagram post, describing Rivers as the “heartbeat” of the band and a “once-in-a-lifetime kind of human.”

“Today we lost our brother...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. 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 reads.

“We shared so many moments—wild ones, quiet ones, beautiful ones—and every one of them meant more because Sam was there.... 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.”

A cause of death was not immediately revealed. However, Rivers had previously battled health issues, undergoing a liver transplant in 2017 for alcohol-induced liver disease.

“I had to leave Limp Bizkit in 2015 because I felt so horrible, and a few months after that, I realized I had to change everything because I had really bad liver disease,” the bassist revealed in Jon Wiederhorn’s 2020 book “Raising Hell: Backstage Tales from the Lives of Metal Legends.”

Rivers told Wiederhorn that he was able to quit drinking, eventually rejoining the band in 2018.

“Since then, I haven’t stopped looking forward,” he said. “[I’m] feeling 100 percent. I’m actually healthier now than I was before.”

Limp Bizkit formed in 1994 in Jacksonville, Florida, releasing the debut studio album, “Three Dollar Bill, Y'all,” three years later.

The Grammy-nominated band is widely known for its 2000s hits such as “My Way,” “Take a Look Around,” and “Behind Blue Eyes.”

In the wake of Rivers’ death, DJ Lethal, born Leor Dimant, encouraged the band’s fans to “give Sam his flowers” and “play [his] 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,” the producer wrote on Instagram.

“We are heartbroken. Enjoy every millisecond of life. It’s not guaranteed.”

Durst, 55, also paid tribute to Rivers online, expressing gratitude to his longtime bandmate and friend.

“It’s so tragic that he’s not here right now, and I’ve gone through gallons and gallons of tears since yesterday,” the singer said in a lengthy Instagram video.

“What he’s left us behind is priceless. He’s such a special person.... I was very, very, very fortunate to have him in my life. And I’m so grateful—so incredibly grateful—to have shared part of this journey with Sam Rivers.

“I miss him terribly already, and all the support and love out there I’ve seen online is overwhelming. He really did have an impact on the world, and his music—his gift—is the one that’s gonna keep on giving. I just love him so much.”