Did Degenerative Disc Disease Really Force Sam Rivers to Quit Limp Bizkit in 2015?
Long blamed on a degenerative disc disease, Sam Rivers’ 2015 exit from the road hid a harsher truth: the Limp Bizkit bassist, who has died at 48, was fighting liver disease.
Tough one today: Sam Rivers, longtime Limp Bizkit bassist, has died at 48. The band shared the news on social media, and there is no cause of death publicly disclosed right now. Here is what we know, plus the real story behind his health issues and why he stepped off the road years ago.
What happened
Limp Bizkit announced Rivers' death in a joint statement on Instagram. Fans and peers flooded in with tributes, and his bandmates Fred Durst, John Otto, Wes Borland, and DJ Lethal honored him together.
"We lost our brother, our bandmate, our heartbeat."
As of now, no further details on cause of death have been shared.
About that 2015 exit: the rumor vs. what really happened
If you remember the headlines at the time, Rivers left touring with the band in 2015 and it was widely chalked up to a degenerative disc issue. That was actually not the case. In a later interview with Loudwire, he explained he had developed serious liver disease brought on by heavy drinking. He said he felt awful during that period, realized things had to change, stopped drinking, followed doctors' orders, and ultimately underwent a liver transplant — which he described as a perfect match.
- 2015: Rivers steps away from touring; reports point to a back problem, which he later said was incorrect.
- Following months: He is diagnosed with severe liver disease linked to alcohol use and overhauls his life.
- Recovery: He quits drinking, sticks to treatment, and receives a liver transplant that he called a perfect match.
Tributes and legacy
The surviving members of Limp Bizkit posted their remembrance together, and fans have been sharing favorite performances and deep cuts from across the catalog. Rivers was a core piece of the band’s sound — the low-end glue that made the riffs hit harder and the grooves swing. However you feel about that era of rock radio, his bass lines were a big reason the songs stuck.
More info will likely surface in the days ahead. For now, it is a sad, sudden loss. Rest in peace, Sam.