Sam Rivers, bassist and backing vocalist for Limp Bizkit, has died at the age of 48, the band announced in a social media post on Sunday, October 19.
The group did not disclose where he died or the circumstances. In their message they called Rivers the band’s “heartbeat.”
Multiple outlets, including CNN, reported the news and confirmed the band’s tribute post.
Band pays tribute
“Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” the band wrote. “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.”
Fred Durst shared a video recalling how they met in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, adding that he has shed “gallons and gallons of tears since yesterday” and that “He really did have an impact on the world and his music and his gift is the one that’s going to keep on giving,” concluding, “I just love him so much.”
DJ Lethal commented under Limp Bizkit's tribute, “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.”
Health struggles and return to the stage
Rivers previously spoke about heavy drinking and liver disease. He left the band in 2015, later received a liver transplant, and rejoined Limp Bizkit three years afterward.
The cause of death has not been revealed.
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Legacy and upcoming tour plans
Rivers was a founding member and helped drive the band’s late-1990s breakthrough with the albums Significant Other and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, both major commercial successes in the US.
The band recently released the single 'Making Love to Morgan Wallen.'
Limp Bizkit is scheduled to begin a Latin American run in Mexico City in late November 2025.