Limp Bizkit founding bassist Sam Rivers dies aged 48

The founding bassist of American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, Sam Rivers, has died, the band announced on Saturday. He was 48.

"Today, we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat," read a statement on Instagram attributed to band members Fred Durst, Wes Borland, John Otto and DJ Lethal.

The statement did not specify a cause of death.

"Sam Rivers wasn't just our bass player -- he was pure magic... 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," the band members wrote.

Limp Bizkit was formed by Rivers and Durst in 1994 and went on to release its debut album "Three Dollar Bill, Y'all" in 1997.

Building on their successful sophomore album, the band's third outing, "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water", debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and sold more than a million copies in the first week of its 2000 release.

Rivers left the band in 2015 because he had "liver disease from excessive drinking", he reportedly said in a book by rock writer Jon Wiederhorn.

Rivers rejoined Limp Bizkit in 2018 and featured in the band's most recent release, the 2021 album "Still Sucks."

Band members lauded Rivers as a "true legend of legends" in their Saturday tribute.

"We love you, Sam. We'll carry you with us, always," they wrote.

"Rest easy, brother. Your music never ends."

DJ Lethal said in a comment that "we are in shock" and called for respect for the family's privacy.