Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers has died at the age of 48, the band announced Saturday. The iconic nu-metal group paid tribute to Rivers, calling him a “once-in-a-lifetime talent.”
Rivers’ death comes after a years-long battle with liver disease, which he publicly revealed in a 2020 interview with rock writer Jon Wiederhorn for his book Raising Hell (Backstage Tales From The Lives Of Metal Legends), as reported by Loudwire. He initially received a diagnosis in 2011.
“I got liver disease from excessive drinking,” Rivers shared in the book. He explained that he left Limp Bizkit in 2015 due to his deteriorating health, realizing shortly after that he needed to make significant lifestyle changes. He underwent a liver transplant in 2017 after quitting drinking and following doctors’ orders. “I got treatment for the alcohol and got a liver transplant, which was a perfect match.”
Despite the successful transplant, Rivers struggled with maintaining sobriety, falling back into drinking due to a difficult home life. he received a stark warning from doctors at UCLA Hospital, who told him in 2017, “If you don’t stop, you’re going to die. And right now, you’re looking like you need a new liver.”
Rivers rejoined Limp Bizkit in 2018 and continued to tour with the band until his death.
Formed in 1995, Limp Bizkit rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s with albums like Significant Other (1999), which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album in 2000, and Results May Vary (2003). The band is known for its blend of rap and metal, fronted by vocalist Fred Durst. Rivers’ bass playing was a key component of the band’s signature sound.
