Following the sad news that Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers has passed away at age 48, frontman Fred Durst has posted a video message on his Instagram account honoring his late bandmate.
Durst began the video by talking about the vital role Rivers played in the formation of Limp Bizkit, discussing how he saw a then teenage Rivers playing with another band, and told him about his vision for Limp Bizkit.
“Sam Rivers, the legend,” began Durst. “Such a gifted and wonderful person. … There Sam was on the stage with his band, killing it on the bass. and I went, ‘Oh my gosh, this guy’s amazing.’ In my mind, you had to start with the rhythm section, the bass and the drums. … I saw Sam play, and I was blown away.”
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He continued, “I went up to Sam after the show, and I sad, ‘Hey man, you’re unbelievable, and I got this idea for a band I wanna do, and I kinda threw it out there, and I told him what I wanted it to be, and he looked at me, and says, ‘Killer, I’m in. Let’s do it!’… That’s kinda how things started to come together.”
Turning to the present day, Durst talked about Limp Bizkit’s recent resurgence over the past few years, saying, “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.”
Watch Fred Durst’s full tribute to Sam Rivers in the video via Instagram.
