Key Points:
- Founding member of Limp Bizkit passes away at age 48
- Cause of death not publicly disclosed by the band
- Rivers had previously battled liver disease and underwent a transplant
- Bandmates pay tribute, calling him “the heartbeat” of Limp Bizkit
- Fans worldwide mourn loss of nu-metal pioneer
LOS ANGELES: Sam Rivers, the founding bassist of the American nu-metal band Limp Bizkit, has died at the age of 48, the band confirmed in a statement on Saturday.
“In loving memory of our brother, Sam Rivers. 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,” the band said in a post quoted by Loudwire.
The cause of death has not been made public, according to TMZ, which reported that family members have requested privacy during this period of mourning.
Rivers, born in Jacksonville, Florida, on September 2, 1977, began his musical journey as a tuba player before switching to bass guitar. He met vocalist Fred Durst while working at a Chick-fil-A restaurant, and the two went on to form Limp Bizkit in 1994, joined by drummer John Otto.
The band became one of the defining names of the late-1990s nu-metal movement, fusing metal riffs with hip-hop beats and rap vocals. Albums such as Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000) brought them international fame, with Rivers’ heavy bass lines anchoring their sound, The Guardian reported.
Rivers left Limp Bizkit temporarily in 2015 after being diagnosed with liver disease caused by excessive alcohol use, according to Men’s Journal. He underwent a liver transplant and made a full return to the band in 2018.
Following the news of his death, DJ Lethal, the group’s turntablist, paid tribute on social media, writing:
“Rest in power, my brother! You will live on through your music and the lives you helped save… play Sam Rivers basslines all day,” as cited by The PRP.
The band described him as a “once-in-a-lifetime kind of human” whose musical energy defined their performances for nearly three decades.
Limp Bizkit did not immediately announce details of memorial plans or future band activities.
Rivers is remembered as a central figure in shaping Limp Bizkit’s distinctive sound — a driving rhythm section that bridged the gap between rock and hip-hop and helped define a generation of late-’90s youth culture.
