Limp Bizkit vocalist Fred Durst paid tribute to late bassist Sam Rivers over the weekend, posting an Instagram video in which he described his friend and bandmate as a legend, and “a gifted, unbelievably sweet, wonderful person.”
The eight-minute video had been posted on Sunday (October 19th), a day after the band revealed that Rivers had passed away at the age of 48. A cause of death has yet to be revealed, though the group requested to respect Rivers’ family’s privacy through this time.
Durst went on to describe the musical and personal connections he and Rivers made when they’d first met. Durst added that he’d been working on “iterations” of what would ultimately become Limp Bizkit in the Nineties, and five-string bassist Rivers was an early key component.
“I had this particular idea for this style and sound and I just couldn’t get it together right. So I decided I’m going to go out and find the right players to do this and bring this thing together,” Durst said.
“In my mind you had to start with the rhythm section, the bass and the drums. I didn’t know who I was gonna meet first to put this idea together,” he added. “I saw Sam play and I was blown away. He was playing a five-string bass too and I’d never seen anyone using a five-string bass. He was so smooth and good and he stood out and I could hear nothing else but Sam. Everything else disappeared besides his gift.”
After approaching Rivers about joining the project, the bassist reportedly told Durst “Killer, I’m in. Let’s do it!”
Durst went on to discuss their decades-long journey together and Limp Bizkit’s current trajectory, and he reflected on the loss of his bandmate and dear friend. “It’s so tragic that he’s not here right now, and I’ve gone through gallons and gallons of tears since yesterday, and I’m thinking, ‘Sam’s a legend.’”
He added: “Here we are just having an incredible moment, and it’s going so beautifully smooth, and Sam was just really, really happy about it. … What he’s left us behind is priceless.”
You can watch Durst’s heartfelt tribute in full down below.
On Saturday night (October 18th), an Instagram post announcing Rivers’ passing found the group describing Rivers as the “heartbeat” of Limp Bizkit, and “The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound.”
You can watch Durst’s tribute in full over here.