Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers dies at 48, band announces

Limp Bizkit announced the death of its bassist, Sam Rivers, on Saturday. He was 48.

There was no word on his cause of death.

The American nu metal band made a long, heartfelt announcement on Instagram, writing in part, "Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat. 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."

Rivers co-founded Limp Bizkit with vocalist Fred Durst and drummer John Otto.

The band was big in the 90s and early 2000s, and Rivers co-wrote many of their hit songs, including "Rollin," "Nookie" and "My Way."