Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers dies aged 48 as band releases emotional statement

Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers has died at the age of 48.

The band announced the news in a statement on Instagram, calling Rivers 'pure magic' and a 'once-in-a-lifetime kind of human'.

The statement read: "In Loving Memory of Our Brother, Sam Rivers. Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat.

"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."

The band continued to say in their statement that they'd share 'so many moments' and that every one of them meant more because Sam was there'.

"He was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of human," they said. "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."

Rivers' cause of death has not been confirmed.

Yesterday (October 18), Rivers shared a post on his Instagram hours before the announcement of his death, which noted the release of the band's album 'Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water' happened almost 25 years ago on October 17.

The musician wrote: "Nothing but love."

The band first formed back in 1994 with top songs including 'Rollin'', 'Break Stuff' and 'Re-arranged'. The group bagged three Grammy nominations and sold over 40 million records worldwide.

After going on hiatus in 2006, Rivers worked as a producer with Burn Season and the Embraced before leaving the band officially in 2015.

He spoke about his reasons for doing so in his book, Raising Hell: Backstage Tales From the Lives of Metal Legends.

“I got liver disease from excessive drinking... I had to leave Limp Bizkit in 2015 because I felt so horrible, and a few months after that I realized I had to change everything because I had really bad liver disease,” he told author Jon Widerhorn, via Variety.

“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."

Rivers rejoined the band in 2018 until his death.

Tributes have been pouring in for Rivers, with one person writing online: "Rest in peace, Sam Rivers! Thank you for those amazing basslines!"

While another said: "That bass was unmatched. Thank you for the music, Sam Rivers — rest in power."

And a third added: "Real sad news about Sam Rivers. So lucky I've watched him perform a few times. Thinking of his loved ones and the band right now.

"Such a shame, Limp Bizkit have been performing a lot more over the years, they were meant to be touring again next year too. Just sad all round really."