Instagram<\/a>, he called Rivers a \u201clegend\u201d and described him as “gifted, unbelievably sweet and a wonderful person.\u201d<\/p>\nHe recalled meeting Rivers at a Florida club in 1994, back when he was envisioning the band that would become Limp Bizkit.<\/p>\n
“I had this idea and vision for this particular type of style and sound, and I just couldn’t get it together right,\u201d he shared in the clip, adding, \u201cAnd so I decided, ‘I’m gonna go out and find the right players to do this and bring this thing together.’ I went into this little tiny bar\/pub where this band was playing at Jax Beach called Pier 7. And there Sam was on the stage with his band, killing it on the bass. And I went, ‘Oh my gosh, this guy’s amazing.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
In awe of such great talent, Durst immediately knew he had to bring him on board.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd in my mind, it was, you had to start with the, the rhythm section, the bass and the drums, and [I] didn\u2019t know who I was gonna meet first,\u201d he continued. \u201cTo put this idea together. Didn\u2019t know if it\u2019d be the drummer or the bass player, but it was the bass player. I saw Sam play and I was blown away. He\u2019s playing a five-string bass, too. I\u2019d never really seen someone using a five-string bass and just, he was so smooth and good and he stood out, and I could hear nothing else but Sam, you know? Everything disappeared besides his gift.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thankfully, after pitching the band idea, Rivers agreed to join, making him the first member that Durst recruited.<\/p>\n
From then on, Rivers invited his cousin John Otto, who became the band\u2019s drummer.<\/p>\n\n\u201cJohn and Sam \u2013 it was a magical thing, the two of them,\u201d he said. At the time, he felt like he was slowly piecing together the puzzle that would become the band.<\/p>\n
As the lead vocalist recalled their humble beginnings and how he and Rivers \u201cshared an affinity for grunge music,\u201d he also spoke about how he stayed behind the spotlight.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is a very private person,\u201d Durst continued. \u201cHe\u2019s a very, very special, genuine person, and when he got on that stage, it\u2019s that Sam \u2013 that Sam Rivers came out and just..he\u2019s a beast.\u201d<\/p>\n
He concluded his message by sharing how deeply he valued their bond and how \u201cfortunate\u201d he felt to have crossed paths with him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very fortunate to have him in my life, and, and I\u2019m so grateful, so incredibly grateful to have shared part of this journey with Sam Rivers. A huge part of this journey, a huge part of my journey. I\u2019m super, super grateful and I miss him terribly already. All the support and love out there I\u2019ve seen online, it\u2019s overwhelming. He really did have an impact on the world, and his music and his gift is the one that\u2019s gonna keep on giving. And I just love him so much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Besides Durst, Rivers and Otto, Limp Bizkit\u2019s original members include guitarist Wes Borland and turntablist DJ Lethal.<\/p>\n
Related: ’90s Rock Band Limp Bizkit Mourns Death of Band Member<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nThis story was originally reported by Parade<\/a> on Oct 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the News<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n