Limp Bizkit Bassist Sam Rivers Dies at 48

Sam Rivers, the founding bassist of Limp Bizkit, died on Oct. 18 at age 48, the band announced in an emotional tribute calling him a once-in-a-lifetime talent and "pure magic." St. Johns County, Florida, authorities told media they responded to a call for a "nonresponsive person in cardiac arrest" at Rivers' home and later described the incident as an "attended death," though an exact cause has not been released. Rivers had long battled alcohol-related liver disease, underwent a liver transplant, briefly left the band in 2015 for treatment and rejoined in 2018; he last performed in August at the Leeds Festival and posted on Instagram hours before his death. Fans and fellow musicians have paid tribute, and posts noting Rivers wearing a "F--- Cancer" shirt and DJ Lethal's recent social-media remarks have prompted speculation about illness, which officials and the medical examiner have not confirmed. Limp Bizkit has asked for privacy for Rivers' family, vowed to carry his legacy forward and appears to be moving ahead with planned upcoming dates, including a Latin American run beginning Nov. 29.