Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers dies aged 48

Heartbreaking news

In a statement shared on social media, the band described Rivers as being not "just our bass player" but "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," they wrote.

His cause of death has not been revealed.

Limp Bizkit was formed in 1994 by Fred Durst, John Otto, DJ Lethal, and Rivers, and they have been credited with bringing heavy music into the mainstream.