Sam Rivers, a co-founding member and bass player of the nu metal group Limp Bizkit, passed away at the age of 48, as confirmed by his band colleagues in a social media update. In a heartfelt tribute shared on Instagram, lead vocalist Fred Durst, guitarist Wes Borland, drummer John Otto, and DJ Lethal expressed their profound loss, referring to Rivers as not just a bassist but as an essential element of their music. Describing him as a source of magic, stability, and soul within their sound, the band acknowledged his irreplaceable talent and impact since their inception.
Limp Bizkit was gearing up to kick off their Gringo Papi tour across seven cities in Latin America on November 29. The band’s plans following Rivers’s passing remain uncertain. DJ Lethal, also known as Leor Dimant, extended appreciation to Rivers for his musical contributions and charitable endeavors, urging fans to honor his memory by enjoying his basslines. With a career spanning back to their formation in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1994, Limp Bizkit gained prominence with their second album, “Significant Other,” featuring the chart-topping single “Nookie.” The album’s success led to multiple Grammy nominations, with subsequent releases solidifying the band’s mainstream presence.
Details surrounding Rivers’s cause of death were not disclosed by the band. Reports indicate that Rivers had temporarily left Limp Bizkit in 2015 due to a diagnosis of liver disease, which he attributed to excessive drinking. Following a successful liver transplant in 2018, Rivers returned to the stage revitalized. Born on September 2, 1977, Rivers’s final performances with Limp Bizkit were at the Leeds and Reading Festivals in England. Fondly remembered by his bandmates as an exceptional individual, his legacy is celebrated through his music and enduring impact on fans and the industry.
