Are Sam Rivers and John Otto Cousins? All about Limp Bizkits band members as founding member dies

Sam Rivers, who was a member of the popular metal band, Limp Bizkit, has passed away. According to People Magazine, the group shared the news of his passing through a post on Instagram, informing fans of his death on Saturday, October 18. Rivers co-founded Limp Bizkit alongside John otto, whom he initially believed to be his cousin. The pair grew up together, after meeting in miiddle school, and later connected over their love for music. It was only much later in life they discovered that they were not, in fact, related.

A portion of the statement released by Limp Bizkit on Instagram, called Sam "a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced" and read:

"Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat," the band wrote in the caption, alongside a photo of Rivers performing onstage. 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. 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."

More about Sam Rivers and other members of Limp Bizkit, as the legendary bassit passes away

Sam Rivers was born in Jacksonville, Florida on September 2, 1977, and attended Bishop Kenny High School. According to Variety, he started playing instruments, specifically the tuba, while still in middle school. It was later that he began playing bass, an instrument he would continue to play throughout his career.

Sam Rivers, drummer John Otto, and lead singer Fred Durst founded Limp Bizkit in 1994. The group released their debut album, "Three Dollar Bill Y'all" three years later in 1997. It was their second album, titled "Significant Other" that catapulted them to widespread fame, with their album debuting at the No.1 spot on the Billboard 200 Chart. Sam Rivers left the group in 2015 due to alcohol-related health issues that lead to a liver transplant. He returned to the band in 2018 and remained associated with Limp Bizkit until his death on Saturday at the age of forty eight.

Fred Durst, whose full name is William Fredrick Durst, is the lead singer and rapper of Limp Bizkit. He grew up in cherryville, North Carolina, with his mother and step father. According to the 1057 The Point, Durst served in the Navy from 1988 until 1990, before working as a tattoo artist in Jacksonville. It was during this time that he met Sam Rivers while working at a burger joint. The two later formed the short-lived band Malachi Sage before founding Limp Bizkit.

Durst has also pursued several independent projects outside of music, that include filmmaking. He has directed multiple independent films, that include, "The Education of Charlie Banks," "Longshots" and "The Fanatic" among others. Fred Durst, who has been married four times, shares two children from his previous relationships.

John Otto, who is one of the other founding members and drummer of the popular nu metal band, also hails from Jacksonville, Florida. Apart from his career with the Limp Bizkit, he has been involved with several solo projects, that include his work on soundtracks for films such as "17 Again," "Life As a House," "Fast Lane" among others. During Limp Bizkit's hiatus, which lasted from 2009 till 2015, Otto joined the musical project, The Killer and the Star, releasing one album as part of that initiative.

Wesley Louden Borland, the guitarist of the Grammy-nominated band, joined Limp Bizkit shortly after its formation. According to reports, Borland left the group in 2001 for a brief period due to creative disagreements, during which he undertook several solo projects. He returned in 2009, just before the band went on a haitus, and later released his solo album titled, "Crystal Machete" in 2016.

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The other remaining member of Limp Bizkit is Leors Dimants, who is better known as DJ Lethal. He serves as the turntablist and producer for the band. He was born in Liga, Latvia, after which his family migrated to Italy when he was just four years old. Later, they shifted to the US and settled down in New York City. Before joining Limp Bizkit, DJ Lethal was part of 1990s the hip-hop group The House of Pain, from 1991 till 1996. He was the last member to join Limp Bizkit and briefly left the band around 2013 but officially returned in March 2018.

Several other musicians, including Mike Smith, Terry Balsamo and others, had also played for the band when the orginal members had briefly departed. According to reports, Sam Rivers' cause of death has not been released to the public.

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