The founding bassist of American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, Sam Rivers, has died, the band announced on Saturday. He was 48.

“Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” read a statement on Instagram attributed to band members Fred Durst, Wes Borland, John Otto and DJ Lethal.

The statement did not specify a cause of death.

“Sam Rivers wasn’t just our bass player — he was pure magic… 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,” the band members wrote.

Limp Bizkit was formed by Rivers and Durst in 1994 and went on to release its debut album “Three Dollar Bill, Y’all” in 1997.

Building on their successful sophomore album, the band’s third

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