Who was Sam Rivers? All about founding member of Limp Bizkit who died at 48

Sam Rivers, bassist of the popular band Limp Bizkit, has died aged 48. He was a talented instrumentalist and backing vocalist for the Nu Metal group and a founding member.

His former bandmates shared the news of his passing on Instagram on October 18, 2025, stating that Rivers died earlier in the day.

Although they didn’t mention what caused their bandmates' passing, they revealed that they had lost their “pure magic”:

“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 played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced. His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous.”

More details about Sam Rivers, Limp Bizkit’s bassist, who passed away 

One of the founding members of Limp Bizkit, Sam Rivers, began his musical career at a young age.

He joined a band in middle school. The talented bassist initially started out playing the guitar but switched musical instruments at his teacher’s instructions. 

Sam met Fred Durst, another prominent band member, while working at Chick-fil-A. They discovered their interest in music and decided to create a band together.

Their first attempt was a short-lived band named Malachi Sage.
 

The duo tried again to make another band without giving up, and even failed. Limp Bizkit was formed in 1994 with Sam, Fred and another guy named Otto after years of failing. Guitarist Wes Borland joined the group in 1996, along with DJ Lethal 1996. 

Rivers reportedly took a step back from the group in 2015 after he was allegedly diagnosed with degenerative disc disease.

The Bassist, who was the youngest member in the group when they formed, later revealed in 2020 that he had left the group due to liver disease as a result of excessive drinking.

He received a liver transplant.

Rivers dabbled in producing after Limp Bizkit went on a hiatus and is responsible for some hard hits, including the debut albums of Burn Season and The Embraced. He reportedly used his influence to secure bookings for the bands as opening acts. He reunited with Limp Bizkit band members and they recorded two more albums together, Gold Cobra and Still Sucks.
 

Rivers also collaborated with Burn Season’s vocalist Damien Starky in the Sleepkillers band. They released their self-titled album in March 2019.

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