Sam Rivers health struggles: Late Limp Bizkit bassist underwent liver transplant, battled alcohol addiction
Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers, who died at the age of 48, had had various health struggles in the past. While his cause of death has not been revealed yet, his health issues and history with liver disease have been documented.
Sam Rivers’ health struggles
When Rivers left the band in 2015, word spread that it was due to back problems. But in reality, Rivers was dealing with a liver disease that developed after years of heavy drinking, according to alternativenation.net..
Rivers opened up about his diagnosis in the book Raising Hell: Backstage Tales From the Lives of Metal Legends, as he did in various interviews. “I was diagnosed in 2011,” he said in an interview with The PRP. “I didn’t really get what was happening back then… I stopped drinking and battled the liver disease for a bit.”
Rivers ultimately needed a liver transplant in 2017. In a past conversation with Metal Injection, he recalled being admitted to UCLA Hospital. “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,’” he had said.
After undergoing the life-saving liver transplant, Rivers later told NME that it was a “perfect match.” He joined Limp Bizkit for shows in 2018 after a lengthy recovery period. “I got treatment for the alcohol and got a liver transplant, which was a perfect match,” he told Loudwire. “I’m back, and I feel amazing.”
Limp Bizkit announces Sam Rivers’ death in emotional statement
Nu metal band Limp Bizkit announced Rivers’ October 18 death in a moving statement on Instagram. “Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” the band wrote.
Read More | Sam Rivers cause of death update: How did Limp Bizkit bassist die? First details out
“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. 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,” Limp Bizkit continued.
The band added, “We shared so many moments — wild ones, quiet ones, beautiful ones — and every one of them meant more because Sam was there. 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. We love you, Sam. We’ll carry you with us, always. Rest easy, brother. Your music never ends.”
