Frank Watkins (musician)
As the relentless bassist for Obituary, he helped forge the brutal, swampy sound of Florida death metal that defined a genre.
1968–2015 (age 47)·Musical artist·Birthday: February 19·Generation X
Biography
Frank Watkins plugged into the Tampa Bay metal scene just as it was detonating. Joining Obituary in 1989, his bass work wasn't just background; it was a thick, pulsing undercurrent that gave the band's chaotic sound a concrete foundation. On classics like 'Cause of Death,' his lines melded with the drums to create a uniquely groovy and oppressive heaviness that set the band apart from their peers. After a hiatus, he returned to Obituary before a surprising late-career shift saw him join the Norwegian black metal outfit Gorgoroth, adopting the stage name Bøddel (Executioner). His sudden death from a heart attack at 47 cut short the journey of a musician who lived for the physical and sonic weight of metal.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Frank was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Frank Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Frank's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2015Died at 47
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Played bass on Obituary's foundational early albums, including 'Slowly We Rot' and 'Cause of Death'.
- His rhythmic synergy with drummer Donald Tardy is considered a hallmark of the classic Obituary sound.
- Successfully crossed genre lines, later becoming the bassist for the influential black metal band Gorgoroth.
- Toured globally for over two decades, cementing his status as a stalwart of the extreme metal live circuit.
Did You Know?
Before joining Obituary, he was in a band called Incubus (not the famous one), which later became known as Opprobrium.
His stage name in Gorgoroth, 'Bøddel,' is the Norwegian word for 'executioner' or 'hangman.'
Watkins was known for his intense and energetic stage presence, often headbanging in sync with his complex bass lines.
He was a skilled tattoo artist and owned a tattoo shop in Florida.
“The bass isn't just a note; it's the ground shaking before the collapse.”
