Sam Rivers, the bassist who helped shape Limp Bizkit’s unmistakable sound, has died at 48. The band confirmed his passing on October 18 via Instagram, sharing a deeply emotional tribute to their “heartbeat.”
“Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” the band 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,” the band continued. “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.
“We shared so many moments — wild ones, quiet ones, beautiful ones — and every one of them meant more because Sam was there,” Limp Bizkit 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,” the post concluded, signed by Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland and turntablist DJ Lethal.
After stepping away from the band in 2015 due to liver disease caused by alcohol abuse, Rivers underwent a successful liver transplant and returned to the group in 2018. “I quit drinking and did everything the doctors told me. I got treatment for the alcohol and got a liver transplant, which was a perfect match.” His openness about his health struggles, shared in Raising Hell (Backstage Tales From The Lives Of Metal Legends), revealed a man who fought hard to reclaim his life and music.
Doctors warned Rivers that failure to stop drinking would be fatal. “It got so bad I had to go to UCLA Hospital, and the doctor said, ‘If you don’t stop, you’re going to die. And right now, you’re looking like you need a new liver.'”
Writer and extreme metal devotee, Ialdagorth has spent over a decade covering the darkest corners of heavy music. A black metal lifer, he spends his free time wandering the Carpathian Mountains, likely humming blast beats to the trees.
