Sam Rivers, the bass player in the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, died on Saturday, according to social media posts by his bandmates. The band did not disclose where Rivers died or the circumstances but praised him as “pure magic” and “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,” they wrote in a group Instagram post. “His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous.”

Fred Durst, the band’s frontman, posted a video recalling how they met at a club in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, before going on to music stardom and performances around the globe.

“He really did have an impact on the world, and his music and his gift is the one that’s going to keep on giving,” Durst said. “I just love him so much.”

Rivers had spoken publicly about heavy drinking that had caused liver disease. He left the band in 2015 and received a liver transplant before reuniting with Limp Bizkit three years later.

Limp Bizkit has scheduled a tour of Central and South America beginning in Mexico City in late November.

With roots in Jacksonville, Florida, Limp Bizkit emerged in the late 1990s with a sound that melds alternative rock, heavy metal, and rap. Their off-the-wall sense of humor is reflected in the titles of their mega-selling 2000 album, *Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water*, and a single released last month, “Making Love to Morgan Wallen.”
https://wsvn.com/entertainment/limp-bizkit-band-members-say-bass-player-sam-rivers-has-died/