Sam Rivers, bass guitarist for nu metal band Limp Bizkit, died Saturday, according to social media posts from his bandmates.
The band did not reveal where or under what circumstances Rivers died, but praised him as “pure magic” and “soul in sound.”
“From the very first note we played together, Sam brought a light and rhythm that can't be replaced,” they wrote in a group Instagram post. “His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart huge.”
Fred Durst, the band's frontman and lead vocalist, posted a video Sunday morning detailing how they met at a club in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, and became 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, 48, spoke about alcohol abuse that caused 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.
