Photo: Getty Images Europe
Limp Bizkit bassist and co-founder Sam Rivers passed away at the age of 48 on Saturday, October 18th, and now, new details are emerging regarding a possible cause of death.
According to a report by TMZ, emergency responders from St. Johns County, Florida, were called to Rivers' home for a "nonresponsive person in cardiac arrest." While an official cause of death has not been announced, it is suspected that Rivers suffered a heart attack.
Rivers had a history of liver disease, which was diagnosed in 2011 due to excessive drinking. He received a liver transplant in 2017 after taking a temporary leave from the band in 2015, and returned to Limp Bizkit in 2018.
In a heartfelt tribute, Limp Bizkit's lead singer Fred Durst expressed his sorrow, saying, "Sam Rivers wasn’t just our bass player — he was pure magic. The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound. From the first note we ever played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced. His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous. We shared so many moments — wild ones, quiet ones, beautiful ones — and every one of them meant more because Sam was there. He was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of human. A true legend of legends. And his spirit will live forever in every groove, every stage, every memory."
Despite Rivers' passing, Limp Bizkit plans to continue with their scheduled South American tour starting on November 29 in Mexico City. The band has not yet announced a replacement for Rivers.