News: Limp Bizkit’s Sam Rivers Dies Aged 48

October 19, 2025 rocknews

news: Limp Bizkit Sam Rivers Dies Aged 48

ROCK NEWS TRIBUTE: Remembering Sam Rivers, Limp Bizkit’s Undeniable Groove

Limp Bizkit Bassist Sam Rivers: The music world is mourning the loss of Sam Rivers, the co-founding bassist and “heartbeat” of nu-metal giants Limp Bizkit, who has passed away at the age of 48. The news was confirmed by the band in a heartfelt statement shared on social media on Saturday, October 18, 2025.

Limp Bizkit Bassist Sam Rivers: The Passing

Sam Rivers’ death was announced by his bandmates—Fred Durst, Wes Borland, John Otto, and DJ Lethal—who paid tribute to him as “pure magic” and “The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound.”

Details on the Cause of Death: As of now, no official cause of death has been publicly disclosed by the band or Rivers’ family, and they have requested privacy during this difficult time.

However, Rivers had been very open about his past health struggles. He revealed that he had been diagnosed with liver disease due to excessive drinking, which led to his temporary departure from the band and required a liver transplant he received in 2017. He had returned to the band in 2018 and continued to tour until his death.

Limp Bizkit Bassist Sam Rivers: Split and Return

Rivers’ most notable split from the band occurred in 2015. While the initial public statement cited a degenerative disc disease as the reason for his hiatus, Rivers later clarified in the 2020 book Raising Hell: Backstage Tales from the Lives of Metal Legends that the true reason was his deteriorating health due to severe liver disease from alcohol abuse.

2015: Rivers takes a hiatus from Limp Bizkit.
2017: He undergoes a successful liver transplant.
2018: Rivers rejoins the band, playing with them until his passing.

Limp Bizkit Bassist Sam Rivers: A Legacy of Groove and Achievements

Sam Rivers was a foundational member of Limp Bizkit, forming the band with his cousin, drummer John Otto, and frontman Fred Durst in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1994. His contributions were central to shaping the band’s distinctive sound and rise to global fame.

Limp Bizkit Bassist Sam Rivers - band photo

Limp Bizkit Bassist Sam Rivers Key Achievements and Contributions:

Founding Member: Rivers was a co-founder of the band and remained a core member throughout their career, featuring on all six of their studio albums.
Unique Sound: He was celebrated for his powerful, rumbling basslines and distinctive low-end grooves, which were a crucial element of the nu-metal genre and Limp Bizkit’s signature hits like “Break Stuff,” “Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle),” and “Nookie.”
Chart Success: He was an integral part of the era that saw the band’s albums, including Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000), reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Versatility: During guitarist Wes Borland’s absence, Rivers showcased his versatility by taking on guitar duties for the band’s 2003 album, Results May Vary.
Producer: Outside of Limp Bizkit, Rivers worked as a producer with several bands in the Jacksonville music scene.

In their emotional tribute, the band members concluded, “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.”