Frank Watkins

Q: When did Frank Watkins die?

Frank Watkins died on October 18, 2015.

Q: How old was Frank Watkins when they died?

Frank Watkins was 47 years old at the time of death.

Q: What was Frank Watkins's cause of death?

The cause of death of Frank Watkins was cancer.

Died: October 18, 2015
Age: 47 years
Cause: cancer

Deaths in 2015 October 2015 Died on October 18 Who Died Today

About Frank Watkins

Frank Watkins, 47, American bassist (Obituary, Gorgoroth), cancer.

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60 Seconds Life Story

Frank Watkins was a prominent American musician who left an indelible mark on the heavy metal scene.

60 Seconds Life Story

Frank Watkins

d. 2015

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60 Seconds: Frank Watkins's Life Story

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Frank Watkins was an influential American bassist known for his work with the death metal band Obituary and the Norwegian black metal group Gorgoroth.

Transcript

Frank Watkins was a prominent American musician who left an indelible mark on the heavy metal scene. Born in 1968, he began his musical journey at the age of 12. By 1989, he became the long-time bass player for the death metal band Obituary. Beyond his instrumental talent, he launched Back From the Dead Productions in 2007 to guide and mentor other musicians. That same year, he joined the Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth, adopting the stage name Bøddel. He recorded albums like Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt and performed live at the Hole in the Sky festival. Sadly, Watkins passed away from cancer on October 18, 2015. He was 47 years old when his influential career in metal concluded.

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Full Biography

Frank Watkins (February 19, 1968 – October 18, 2015) was an American heavy metal musician best known as a former, long-time bass player for the death metal band Obituary; he played with them from 1989 to 1997 and then from 2003 until 2010. He had been the bass player of the Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth at the time of his death, where he had been known as Bøddel.

Biography

Watkins was born in 1968. He began playing music at the age of 12 and started his professional career in 1986, before joining Obituary in 1989. He played on every Obituary release until his departure from the band in 2010, with the exception of their debut album Slowly We Rot (1989).

Watkins prided himself not only on the technical side of his music, but also on the business aspect, managing, mentoring, and guiding other bands and musicians. He formed his management company, Back From the Dead Productions, in 2007 to help bands create a positive impact in their musical careers.^{[citation needed]} In late 2007, Watkins became the bassist of Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth, and in 2009 he participated in the recording of the Gorgoroth album Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt. He debuted live with the band at the Hole in the Sky festival in Bergen on August 29, 2009. This was the first concert Gorgoroth had performed since September 2007. In an interview with Metal Maniacs published online in August 2009,^{[citation needed]} Watkins explained that for his work with Gorgoroth he had taken the stage name "Bøddel", which means "Executioner" in Norwegian.

Watkins died from an undisclosed type of cancer on October 18, 2015. He was 47 years old.