Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers dies at 48

Limp Bizkit bass player Sam Rivers has died, the band announced Saturday.

Limp Bizkit bass player Sam Rivers has died, the band announced Saturday. He was 48.

“Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” read a eulogy posted to the group’s Instagram on Saturday paired with a picture of Rivers performing. “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.”

Rivers’ cause of death is not clear at this time.

Limp Bizkit is an American nu-metal band that formed in Florida in the mid-1990s. Rivers co-founded the group with lead singer Fred Durst. Drummer John Otto and guitarist Wes Borland joined soon after.

The group is known for its blend of heavy metal, hip-hop and other forms of alternative rock. Durst’s angry singing delivery and Borland’s costumes, which include masks and paint, also set the band apart from others.