Joe Allen Watson was born in Lansing, Michigan on September 8, 1963 as the third child of Althea (Heiden) and Raymond Watson. He was a grandson of Lewis and Zina (Robinson) Heiden.

He served in the U.S. Army as a SP4 from December 2, 1982 to December 1, 1984..

On December 20, 1989, Joe died in Lansing at the age of 26. He is buried in the Saint Peter Lutheran Cemetery in St Johns, Clinton County, Michigan.