Some musicians go viral because they have crazy fast fingers or a unique look. But 70-year-old Frank Watkinson became a star for a different reason—his music touches the soul. His heartfelt performances on YouTube have won over listeners all around the world. One of his biggest hits is a simple yet powerful acoustic cover of Radiohead’s “Creep.”
Watkinson uploaded the video on January 8, 2024. In it, he sits with his acoustic guitar, playing and singing in his soft, whispery voice. Meanwhile, his cat and dog wander around in the background. His version of the song is completely different from the original—while Radiohead’s Thom Yorke sings with intense, wailing emotion, Watkinson takes a gentler approach. His fingerstyle guitar arrangement and quiet voice give the song a deep, emotional feel, making it even more heartbreaking and beautiful.
This isn’t the first time Watkinson has gone viral. Three years ago, one of his YouTube videos hit over a million views. But his cover of “Creep” has been his biggest recent success, racking up an incredible 2.2 million views. He explained in the video description that he chose the song because so many fans had requested it.
Fans absolutely loved it. Many left comments sharing how much the song moved them. One person wrote, “The emotion he puts in the lyrics is amazing. This is definitely the best cover of this song I’ve ever heard. He’s special.” Another fan added, “You can tell he’s replaying memories while singing. Such a heartfelt rendition of the song. Amazing!”
Even though his “Creep” cover has been a massive success, his biggest hit so far is his acoustic version of “Snuff,” a song by the heavy metal band Slipknot. Despite being a softer musician, Watkinson has a talent for turning rock songs into emotional acoustic masterpieces.
Over the years, Watkinson has built up a strong fanbase on YouTube. His channel now has an impressive 918,000 subscribers. He doesn’t share much personal information, but in an interview with the University of Sydney’s student newspaper, Honi Soit, he opened up a bit. He described himself as a humble man, saying that he was thrilled when he first reached 50 subscribers. Now, with almost a million, he still feels the same way. “It’s just a number, isn’t it?” he said.
Despite his success, Watkinson doesn’t see himself as anything special. “I’m not anyone special,” he admitted in the interview. His channel bio reflects this humble attitude, saying, “We can’t all be polished professionals, but that shouldn’t be a reason not to sing.”
If you want to hear more from this talented musician, you can subscribe to his YouTube channel, where he continues to share incredible music. You can also follow him on Instagram to keep up with his latest covers and performances.
