Bobby Prince, Composer of Doom and Duke Nukem, Dies at 81

Classic PC game developers confirmed earlier this week that Bobby Prince, the composer and sound designer behind several foundational titles, has died. He worked with Apogee/3D Realms and id Software in their formative years, composing for Doom, Wolfenstein, Duke Nukem and Commander Keen.

He was 81 years old. Originally a lawyer, Prince took to the Prodigy usenet forums for MIDI and digital composing. He noticed a post from Scott Miller of Apogee seeking someone to compose a jingle, and after playing an early shareware version of Commander Keen he reached out.

Prince was flown to Dallas to meet the team, and their chemistry led him to contribute far more than an opening title card. His early work ranged from Duke Nukem II and Wolfenstein 3D to cult titles such as Bio Menace and Word Rescue. His most famous contribution was the original Doom: a collection of hammering, Pantera-inspired riffs that has endured in gaming history and was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress last May.

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