Sam Rivers, Limp Bizkit Co-Founder & Bassist, Dies at 48
Rivers is remembered as "a once-in-a-lifetime kind of human" in an emotional tribute from the band.
Sam Rivers performs with Limp Bizkit during Machaca Fest at Paqrque Fundidora on Nov. 30, 2024 in Monterrey, Mexico.
Sam Rivers, longtime bass player and a founding member of Limp Bizkit, has died. He was 48.
The band (Fred Durst, Wes Borland, John Otto and DJ Lethal) revealed the news of Rivers’ death Saturday night (Oct. 18) in a tribute to the musician titled “In Loving Memory of Our Brother, Sam Rivers,” in a post on Instagram.
“Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” Limp Bizkit wrote on Saturday of Rivers, who was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1977 and was one third of the original formation of Limp Bizkit in 1994, alongside vocalist Durst and drummer Otto. (Borland and DJ Lethal joined in 1996.)
“Sam Rivers wasn’t just our bass player — he was pure magic,” his band members said. “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.”
Their statement continued: “We shared so many moments — wild ones, quiet ones, beautiful ones — and every one of them meant more because Sam was there. 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.”
DJ Lethal left an additional comment on Instagram, writing, “We love you Sam Rivers. 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. We are heartbroken. Enjoy every millisecond of life. It’s not guaranteed.”
Rivers’ cause of death has not been revealed.
He was diagnosed with liver disease in 2011 and received a liver transplant in 2017. Within this time period, he took a short hiatus from his work with Limp Bizkit — but was back with the band by 2018.
Limp Bizkit’s breakthrough came with the nu-metal band’s 1997 debut album, Three Dollar Bill, Y’all — featuring their cover version of George Michael’s “Faith,” which picked up radio airplay and had a music video in rotation on MTV and the network’s then-popular TRL (Total Request Live). But it was their 1999 sophomore album Significant Other that reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the first time, and the set received three Grammy nominations — in the categories of best rock album and best hard rock performance (for their hit “Nookie,” as well as album track “Take a Look Around”). They’d have another Billboard 200 No. 1 with the 2000 album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.
To date Limp Bizkit has released a total of six full-length studio albums, with the most recent being 2021’s Still Sucks.
Limp Bizkit recently returned to No. 1 on a Billboard chart for the first time since 2011. The single “Making Love to Morgan Wallen” debuted atop Hot Hard Rock Songs, Alternative Digital Song Sales and Hard Rock Digital Song Sales the week of Sept. 27, 2025.
