Frank Watkins (musician)

Watkins was born in 1968.[1] 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. 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, 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.[2]

• Sacrosanct (1985–1986)
• Bad Rep (1986–1987)
• Hellwitch (1987–1989)
• The Henchmen (1993)
• Obituary (1989–1997, 2003–2010)
• Gorgoroth (2007–2015)