Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst remembered Sam Rivers as “such a gifted, unbelievably sweet and wonderful person” after the bassist died over the weekend at the age of 48.
In a lengthy and emotional video shared on Instagram, Durst recounted the story of how he met and recruited Rivers for Limp Bizkit. The frontman said he’d been struggling to find the right musicians to help him actualize the “idea and vision” he had for the rap-rock outfit, until stumbling upon Rivers playing with another band at a local bar in Jacksonville, Florida.
“There Sam was on stage with his band, killing it on the bass, and I went, ‘Oh my gosh, this guy’s amazing,’” Durst recalled. He noted, too, that Rivers was playing a five-string bass, something he’d never seen before: “He was so smooth and good, and he stood out, and I could hear nothing else but Sam. Everything else disappeared.”
After the show, Durst approached Rivers, complimented his playing, and pitched his idea for Limp Bizkit. Rivers replied, “Killer, I’m in. Let’s do it!”
After they’d been jamming for a while, Rivers suggested the burgeoning group recruit his cousin, John Otto, who was a jazz drummer. With Durst having previously noted how important the rhythm section was to a band like Limp Bizkit, he said listening to Rivers and Otto play together was “a magical thing” and exactly what he’d long been searching for.
Durst went on to praise Rivers’ knack for playing any idea Durst threw out — “and do it a thousand times better than I could hear it in my head” — as well as his “ability to pull this beautiful sadness out of the bass that I’d never heard.” The frontman called his old friend a “legend” who “did it” and “lived it.”
He continued: “With Limp Bizkit, we’ve been on such a journey, it’s been a massive roller coaster, and here we are just having this incredible moment, man, and it’s going so, so beautifully smooth. And Sam was just really happy about it. Rocked stadiums together, been around the world together, shared so many moments together. And I know that, wherever Sam is right now, he’s smiling and feeling like, ‘Man, I did it. I did it.’ And, man, did he do it. What he’s left us behind is priceless.”
Durst closed by saying he already missed Rivers terribly, and expressed his gratitude for “all the support and love” he’s seen from fans. “He really did have an impact on the world,” Durst said. “His music and his gift is one that’s gonna keep on giving. I just love him so much.”
Limp Bizkit confirmed Rivers’ death over the weekend, though a cause of death was not disclosed. “Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” Limp Bizkit said in a statement. “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.”
