Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers passes away at 48; band releases statement: ‘We lost our heartbeat’

“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,” the band’s note further read.

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Sam Rivers had a history of serious health issues, which led him to step away from Limp Bizkit in 2015. He was diagnosed with a severe liver condition after years of heavy drinking and subsequently underwent a liver transplant in 2017. Remarkably, Rivers made a successful comeback in 2020, rejoining the band and performing at several shows for their nu-metal fans.

In an earlier interview with Metal Injection, Sam Rivers opened up about his health concerns and said, “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.’”

Sam Rivers began his musical journey in Florida, where he grew up playing alongside drummer John Otto. He later met Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst while working at a Chick-fil-A in the 1990s. Together with Otto and Durst, Rivers brought in guitarist Wes Borland and DJ Lethal, forming the Limp Bizkit band in 1996. The band went on to release six studio albums, including the era-defining Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000), which catapulted them to global fame.