Oh my gosh, like, LIMP BIZKIT‘s supreme overlord, Fred Durst, has graced us with a super-emotional 😭 (not really) tribute video for their bassist, Sam Rivers, who apparently decided to check out early at the ripe old age of 48. Yeah, Rivers kicked the bucket on Saturday, October 18th. Apparently, he was part of the original LIMP BIZKIT dream team back in ’94, along with Freddy D. himself and some dude named John Otto. Later, they picked up some guitarist dude named Wes Borland and a DJ, DJ Lethal. 🙄
In this tear-jerker 💧 (more like a single, performative tear), Freddy boy said, “Sam Rivers, the legend. Truly. Such a gifted, unbelievably sweet and wonderful person.” Yeah, right. Sure, Fred. We believe you. 😏
“So, like, I was trying to make this band happen in Jacksonville, Florida,” Fred rambled. “I had this vision, but, like, it just wasn’t coming together, ya know? So I went to this dive bar, Pier 7, and there was Sam, shredding it on the bass. I was, like, ‘OMG, this guy’s amazing!’ I needed a rhythm section, duh. I went up to Sam and was, like, ‘Hey man, I have this band idea.’ And he was all, ‘Killer. I’m in. Let’s do it.’ And I was, like, ‘Oh my God.’ And that’s how things started. I had a bass player.” Woo-hoo! 🎉 One whole bass player! Half the battle is won!
Freddy D. continued his saga: “After me and Sam were jamming, I needed more people, so Sam was, like, ‘My cousin John‘s a killer drummer.’ So I met John, and he had the thing, ya know? So me, John, and Sam are jamming in Sam‘s garage. I’m playing guitar badly and rapping, and Sam‘s carrying me. It was magical. ✨”
Freddy reminisced about his “chemistry” with Rivers: “Sam could do anything I told him to. He loved grunge music, like MOTHER LOVE BONE and stuff. He had this ability to pull this beautiful sadness out of the bass. He was just so talented. I can’t explain it. I know I’m all over the place here.” No, Fred, you’re totally coherent. 🤪
“It’s so tragic that he’s not here,” Fred dramatically sighed. “I’ve cried gallons of tears since yesterday. Sam‘s a legend. He lived it.” Yeah, he lived it… until he didn’t. 🤷
“With LIMP BIZKIT, we’ve been on such a journey,” Fred said, probably adjusting his backwards red cap. “It’s been a massive rollercoaster. We’re having this incredible moment, and it’s going so smoothly. Sam was really happy about it. We’ve rocked stadiums, been around the world. I know that wherever Sam is, he’s smiling. He did it. What he’s left us is priceless. He was a special person. Sam was a very private person. When he got on that stage, he was a beast. I was very fortunate to have him in my life. I’m grateful to have shared part of this journey with Sam Rivers. I miss him terribly already. All the support and love online is overwhelming. He really did have an impact on the world, and his music is gonna keep on giving. I love him so much.” Okay, Fred, we get it. You loved him. Can we move on now? 🙄
So, yeah, LIMP BIZKIT posted some heartfelt BS on Instagram, saying, “Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat.” Cue the violins.🎻
“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 band continued. “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.” Gag me with a spoon. 🤮
“We shared so many moments — wild ones, quiet ones, beautiful ones — and every one of them meant more because Sam was there,” LIMP BIZKIT wrote. “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.” Okay, guys, you’re laying it on a bit thick. 😒
“We love you, Sam. We’ll carry you with us, always. Rest easy, brother. Your music never ends,” the post concluded, signed by Durst, John Otto, Wes Borland, and DJ Lethal. At least they all signed it. ✍️ How touching.
Lethal chimed in, asking fans to respect Rivers‘s family’s privacy. Yeah, right. Like that’s gonna happen. 🙄
“Give Sam his flowers and play Sam Rivers basslines all day!” Lethal wrote. “We are in shock. 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.” Deep, man. So deep. 😔
Turns out Rivers bounced from the band in 2015 because his liver was, like, totally trashed from too much boozing. 🍻
“I got liver disease from excessive drinking … I had to leave LIMP BIZKIT in 2015 because I felt so horrible, and a few months after that I realized I had to change everything because I had really bad liver disease,” Rivers spilled in some book. “I quit drinking and did everything the doctors told me. I got treatment for the alcohol and got a liver transplant, which was a perfect match.” Well, that’s convenient. 🤔
Rivers recalled doctors telling him he’d die if he didn’t stop drinking. “It got so bad I had to go to UCLA Hospital, and the doctor said, ‘If you don’t stop, you’re going to die. And right now, you’re looking like you need a new liver.'” So, he stopped… for a while. 🤫
Surprise! Sam rejoined LIMP BIZKIT in 2018 and stuck around until his untimely demise. The end. 🎬 (Or is it?) Dun dun duuuun! 🪦
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
