Sam Rivers, the longtime bassist and backing vocalist of the American nu-metal band Limp Bizkit, has died aged 48. The group confirmed the news in a heartfelt statement shared on social media.
Bandmates Fred Durst, John Otto, Wes Borland and DJ Lethal paid tribute to their “our brother, our bandmate, our heartbeat”, remembering Rivers as “pure magic.”
“Sam wasn’t just our bass player,” their message read. “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.”
They added: “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.”
Formed in 1994 in Jacksonville, Florida, Limp Bizkit rose from the local underground scene to international fame by the late 1990s. A founding member, Rivers first began making music with drummer John Otto, his cousin, before the pair met frontman Fred Durst while working at a local Chick-fil-A. Guitarist Wes Borland and DJ Lethal joined soon after, completing the classic lineup in 1996.
Limp Bizkit became one of the defining acts of the nu-metal era, achieving global success with hits such as ‘Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)’, ‘Take a Look Around’, ‘My Way’ and ‘Break Stuff’; the latter earning nearly a billion streams on Spotify.
The band has released six studio albums, most of them multi-platinum and their most recent single ‘Battlefield: The After-Party’, appeared in the video game Battlefield 6.
Rivers temporarily left the group in 2015 after being diagnosed with liver disease caused by excessive alcohol use. Following a liver transplant, he returned to the stage three years later and continued performing with Limp Bizkit until his death.
