Florida rockers Limp Bizkit shared some sad news today, announcing the passing of their co-founding bassist, Sam Rivers. In a collective statement, Fred Durst, Wes Borland, John Otto, and DJ Lethal posted the photo above and the message below on their social media pages:
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.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.
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.
Limp Bizkit was formed in 1994 by Rivers, Durst, and Otto, with Borland and DJ Lethal joining the band shortly after. Rivers contributed to all six of Limp Bizkit’s albums and toured the world with them.
Over the course of his career, Rivers collaborated on singles with Marilyn Manson, David Draiman of Disturbed, and Black Light Burns. He also produced albums for Burn Season and The Embraced, and worked with Indorphine.
In a message on Instagram, DJ Lethal wrote:
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 ✌️
Rivers stepped away from Limp Bizkit in 2015 for a few years, later revealing in Jon Wiederhorn’s 2020 book Raising Hell: Backstage Tales from the Lives of Metal Legends that he had left the band after developing liver disease from excessive drinking. Rivers received a liver transplant in 2017 and rejoined the band in 2018.
No cause of death has been revealed. Rivers was 48. Rest in peace.
