An emotional video, tears and gratitude: Fred Durst remembers Sam Rivers, the bassist of Limp Bizkit, who died at the age of 48.
Fred Durst has said an emotional farewell to his late Limp Bizkit colleague Sam Rivers. He described the bassist as a “unique person”.
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Rivers died on October 18th at the age of 48, the band announced in a statement on Instagram. It said: “Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat.” Rivers was the soul behind every song, the group said. His death apparently came as much of a surprise to the band as it did to the grieving fans. The cause of death was not officially announced.
Emotional farewell
Limp Bizkit frontman Durst was deeply shocked by the loss of his long-time companion and called Rivers “such a gifted, incredibly kind and wonderful person.” In a video on Instagram, Durst paid respect and remembered the band’s early years.
Memories of the beginnings
The singer and Rivers met in Florida in the 1990s. “I had this idea and vision for a certain style and sound, but I just couldn’t get it right. So I decided to start looking for the right musicians to make this project happen,” Durst said in the video.
He recounted seeing Rivers in a small bar with another band on bass: “I just thought, Oh my God, this guy is incredible.” Durst continued, “I saw Sam play and I was absolutely thrilled. He also played a five-string bass – I had never seen anyone play a five-string bass. He was so smooth and good and stood out. I couldn’t hear anything other than Sam, everything else disappeared next to his talent.”
“Liters of tears shed”
Durst then approached Rivers about forming a band together – and the story of Limp Bizkit began. “It’s so tragic that he’s not here now, and I’ve shed gallons of tears since yesterday,” Durst continued. Rivers is a legend and really lived. “We’ve rocked stadiums together, we’ve traveled the world, shared so many moments together, and I know that wherever Sam is, he’s smiling and thinking, Man, I did it.”
What Rivers left behind is priceless, emphasized the lead singer. “Sam was the first person to really get involved and help make this dream come true. And he didn’t think twice, he just said, ‘Yeah, let’s go, let’s do it.'”
Durst concluded in the video by saying, “I was so lucky to have him in my life, and I’m incredibly grateful that I got to share a part of this journey with Sam Rivers – a big part of my journey.” Limp Bizkit’s voice says he misses him terribly already. “The support and love he and the band have received online is overwhelming. Rivers “has truly made an impact on the world. His music and his gift is something that will live on. I just love him so much.”
Sam Rivers as a pioneer of NuMetal
Rivers was considered the sonic foundation that had a decisive influence on the sound of NuMetal in the late 1990s. Limp Bizkit only celebrated their comeback in September with the song “Making Love to Morgan Wallen”. However, with Rivers’ death, the band’s future is uncertain. In Germany, headlining shows at Rock am Ring and Rock im Park are planned in 2026. It remains to be seen whether the group will perform with a new bassist.