Limp Bizkit Rocker Dead at 48: Band Announces Death of Sam Rivers

A Limp Bizkit rocker has died.

The band announced on Instagram on Saturday that bassist Sam Rivers has passed away at 48 years old.

“Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” band members Fred Durst, Wes Borland, John Otto, and DJ Lethal 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.”

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“We shared so many moments – wild ones, quiet ones, beautiful ones – and every one of them meant more because Sam was there,” they continued. “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. We love you, Sam. We’ll carry you with us, always. Rest easy, brother. Your music never ends.”

Born on Sept. 2, 1977, in Jacksonville, Florida, Rivers was a founding member of Limp Bizkit, which formed in 1994. After laying in the Jacksonville underground music scene in the late ‘90s, they signed with Flip Records, with distribution from Interscope. After releasing five records and going through some group changes, Limp Bizkit went on hiatus in 2005 and reunited four years later. In 2000, the band was nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammys for their second studio album Significant Other, while their single “Nookie” was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance. The following year, they were nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance again for the “Take a Look Around.”

Details surrounding Rivers’ death have not been revealed, but the one and only comment on the announcement post comes from DJ Lethal, who urges fans to respect the late bassist’s family’s privacy. “Give Sam his flowers and play Sam rivers basslines all day,” he wrote. “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.”