Sam Rivers, the longtime bassist and founding member of LIMP BIZKIT, has died at the age of 48. The band announced his passing on Saturday, October 18, via Instagram, sharing a heartfelt tribute to the musician who helped define their sound and spirit. No cause of death was disclosed.
“Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” the post read, accompanied by a photo of Rivers performing live. “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.”
The message, signed by frontman Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, and turntablist DJ Lethal, painted a portrait of Rivers as a quiet force behind the band’s explosive energy — a “once-in-a-lifetime kind of human” whose rhythm and presence were irreplaceable.
Rivers co-founded LIMP BIZKIT in the mid-1990s, helping propel the group to global fame with hits like “Break Stuff,” “My Way,” and “Rollin’.”
In 2015, Rivers stepped away from the band due to serious health issues stemming from alcohol-related liver disease. He later spoke candidly about his struggles in Jon Wiederhorn’s book Raising Hell, revealing that he underwent a life-saving liver transplant after doctors warned him he wouldn’t survive without it.
“I quit drinking and did everything the doctors told me,” Rivers said. “I got treatment for the alcohol and got a liver transplant, which was a perfect match.”
After recovering, Rivers rejoined LIMP BIZKIT in 2018 and remained an active member until his death.
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