“Last night I got loaded on a bottle of gin,” boasts Little Bob in the opening verse of his signature track “I Got Loaded.” “You know, I feel alright,” he proclaims just seconds later. In 1964, Little Bob and the Lollipops’ ode to getting liquored up left its mark on Louisiana musical history. Bob’s swamp pop ditty has since been cut by numerous acts including the Wood Brothers and Los Lobos as well as fellow Louisiana musicians Tab Benoit and Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. Thursday night (November 7), Bob turns 76, and on Saturday (November 9), the wily drummer and vocalist just might get loaded as he celebrates the occasion with a birthday party at Toby’s Lounge in Opelousas, Louisiana.

Drummer and vocalist Camille Bob, a.k.a. Little Bob, will celebrate his 76th birthday with a party at Toby's Lounge in Opelousas, Louisiana on Saturday, November 9, 2013.

Born Camille Bob in 1937 in Arnaudville, Louisiana, the son of sharecroppers, Bob grew up farming the fields of nearby Prairie Laurent. He took to music in high school and traded his horse to get hold of his first drum set. While manning the kit for Good Rockin’ Bob, Camille earned the nickname “Little Bob.” It stuck, and in 1958 Bob formed his own band, Little Bob and the Lollipops, a swamp pop outfit complete with horns. The band quickly established itself on the Southwest Louisiana R&B circuit and would remain a staple through the mid ’60s. Its brassy nod to the bottle has remained a staple since.

Little Bob’s birthday celebration will kick off at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 9, 2013. Toby’s Lounge is located at 132 Toby’s Lane, Opelousas, LA 70570 (map).

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