Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers, who died at the age of 48, kept his family life remarkably private.
Usually, it's well-known whether a famous musician like Rivers has a wife, girlfriend, or kids, but in his case, the only reports about a wife are unconfirmed; they come from an obscure and unsourced fan page.
The family he did open up about, and express repeated love for, was what he referred to as the "Limp Bizkit family."
Rivers did give glimpses into his life on his Instagram page, and his final post is a poignant one.
Limp Bizkit announced on October 18 that Rivers had died. "Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat," the band wrote in a lengthy tribute post.
"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 added.
The cause of death was not released, but Rivers had previously opened up about having a liver transplant due to drinking.
In his final Instagram post, Rivers posted promotional materials about the band he helped found, Limp Bizkit, and shared the Cars' song, "Good Times Roll." In that post, he spoke of the Limp Bizkit "family."
"Nothing but love #limpbizkit#limpbizkitstyle#limpbizkitfamily," Rivers wrote.
The post has now been filled with tributes. "We love you brother. Fly high 🕊️🤍, " read one.
"Sam…why 🕊️😭," wrote another fan. "You made grown man from other side of the globe cry. My thoughts are with family and friends ❤️"
"RIP Sam. Can't believe this news," exclaimed another fan.
On August 22, Rivers posted a photo showing him on a plane with an unidentified woman to his Instagram page and wrote, "I hope everyone is having a great day. In London with my fav and and the LB Fam❤️💯❤️💯🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻#limpbizkit #limpbizkitstyle #limpbizkitfamily #nothingbutlove."
Another photo in the collage showed him lying down in a vehicle. Other recent Instagram posts showed his concerts. In fact, his Instagram page shows that his final months were spent in a whirlwind of concert stops around the world.
"Abu Dhabi is so beautiful. But the heat is on another level🥵 and we are still going to rock it tonight. Can’t wait🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼," he wrote in August.
In early August, he posted a photo of his luggage and wrote, "????? I’ll make the show no matter what!"
In July, he shared a photo of a guitar and wrote, "I got a new member of the family."
Rivers was a founding member of Limp Bizkit. His death comes after the rock world lost another iconic member with the death of KISS co-founder Ace Frehley.