Sam Rivers, bass player for Limp Bizkit, has died at 48, the band says

Sam Rivers, bass guitarist for metal band Limp Bizkit, has died, the band announced on social media. He was 48.

The group said Rivers died Saturday but did not disclose the location of his death or the circumstances. They described it as “pure magic” and “soul in sound”.

“From the very first note we played together, Sam brought a light and rhythm that could not be replaced. His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart huge,” the band wrote in their post. Instagram post announcing his death. “We shared so many moments—wild, quiet, beautiful—and each one meant more because Sam was there.”

The group added: “He was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of guy.” A true legend of legends. And his spirit will live forever in every track, on every stage, in every memory.”

Fred Durst, frontman and lead vocalist of the band, posted a video Sunday Morning chronicled how they met at a club in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, and went on to become music stars performing around the world. Durst said he has shed “gallons and gallons of tears” since yesterday.

“He truly made an impact on the world, his music, and his gift will continue to make a difference,” Durst said. “I just love him so much.”

Rivers talked about alcohol abuse causing liver disease. He left the band in 2015 and underwent a liver transplant before reuniting with Limp Bizkit three years later.

Limp Bizkit are scheduled to tour Central and South America, starting in Mexico City at the end of November.

Durst said he and Rivers shared a love of grunge music, naming the bands Mother Love Bone, Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots.

“He had this ability to bring this beautiful sadness out of the bass that I've never heard,” Durst said, calling Rivers “so talented that I can't explain.”

With roots in Jacksonville, Florida, Limp Bizkit emerged in the late 1990s with a sound that combined alternative rock, heavy metal and rap.

Their quirky sense of humor is reflected in the title of their mega-selling 2000 album, “Chocolate Starfish and Hot Dog Flavored Water,” and their single, “Making Love to Morgan Wallen,” released last month.