Sam Rivers has died. The Limp Bizkit bassist died on Oct. 18, according to a social media post by the band. Limp Bizkit did not reveal Rivers’ cause of death. He was 48.
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“Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” band members Fred Durst, John Otto, Wes Borland, and DJ Lethal wrote on Instagram. “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,” Limp Bizkit added. “We shared so many moments—wild ones, quiet ones, beautiful ones—and every one of them meant more because Sam was there.”
The caption continued by calling Rivers “a once-in-a-lifetime kind of human” and “a true legend of legends,” adding, “His spirit will live forever in every groove, every stage, every memory.”
“We love you, Sam. We’ll carry you with us, always,” the band concluded. “Rest easy, brother. Your music never ends.”
In the comments section, Limp Bizkit’s DJ Lethal added a message of his own.
“We love you Sam Rivers,” he wrote. “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,” DJ Lethal continued. “We are heartbroken. Enjoy every millisecond of life. It’s not guaranteed.”
Sam Rivers’ Limp Bizkit Tenure
Rivers and Durst co-founded Limp Bizkit in 1994. Otto and Borland joined them shortly thereafter. Their debut LP, Three Dollar Bill, Y’all came out in 1997. It was followed by Significant Other and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water in 1999 and 2000, respectively.
Three more LPs came out in the years that followed, most recently Still Sucks in 2021. The band behind “Nookie” and “Take a Look Around” received three Grammys throughout their run.
In November, Limp Bizkit is scheduled to set off on their 2025 Gringo Papi Tour in South America. The band has yet to share if the shows will go on as planned in the wake of Rivers’ death.
Photo by Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
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