Limp Bizkit Member Asks for Privacy for Sam Rivers' Family
A member of Limp Bizkit has asked for privacy for Sam Rivers' family as fans and the band reel from his "shock" death at the age of 48.
DJ Lethal opened up about the band's heartbreak in a comment on Limp Bizkit's tribute to Rivers, who died on October 18. DJ Lethal "is a Latvian-American turntablist and producer and is best known as a member of the groups House of Pain and Limp Bizkit," his bio says.
Rivers was a core member of the band - Limp Bizkit called him its "heartbeat" - because he helped found it with Fred Durst. Over the years, he struggled with health issues (a liver transplant, according to a book), but his final months were spent on an aggressive concert tour to hotspots around the world, according to his Instagram page.
- The cause of death for Sam Rivers' is not clear. Whether he had a wife, girlfriend or kids is also not publicly known, and accounts that he did come from an unverified, old fan page.
- The band confirmed his death in a lengthy tribute post on Instagram. "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," the post reads in part.
- Although it's not clear how Rivers died, his health issues were severe enough that he left the band for several years before returning to it, according to Loudwire.
But it's the post from fellow band member DJ Lethal that gets the most emotional.
DJ Lethal Wrote That The Limp Bizkit Band Members Were 'in Shock' After Sam Rivers' Death & Urged Fans to 'Play Sam Rivers' Basslines All Day'
"We love you Sam Rivers. Please respect the family’s privacy at this moment. ????️ give Sam his flowers and play Sam rivers basslines all day!" wrote DJ Lethal on the band's Instagram comment thread.
"We are in shock," he revealed.
"Rest in power my brother ! You will live on through your music and the lives you helped save with your music , charity work and friendships. We are heartbroken ???? enjoy every millisecond of life. It’s not guaranteed ✌️" he added.
Did Sam Rivers Have a Wife or Kids? That Is Not Clear
There are no posts on Rivers' Instagram page that mention a wife or kids. Rather, his posts focus on concert appearances in countries from Poland to Turkey.
Fans expressed their love for the bassist.
"You will be so missed ❤️," wrote one fan on Rivers' Instagram page.
"Damn RIP man. Will always remember you grooving on that Woodstock stage," wrote another.
"I can't believe it, we'll miss you Sam, rest in peace, my condolences to the family ????????????" a fan added.
Another fan noted that Rivers died, "one day after the album's 25th anniversary."
"Sam, rest in peace. You are, for me, the best bass player I've ever seen in my life. I met LB in 2020 and was immediately stunned by his bass lines (especially on Boiler). You're an inspiration not only to me but to so many fans. It still hasn't sunk in that you're gone," a heartbroken fan wrote.
"He was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of human," the band wrote in its tribute to him. "A true legend of legends. And his spirit will live forever in every groove, every stage, every memory."