As a child French took drumming lessons from
Louis Barbarin. He organized an
R&B band in high school that included
James Booker,
Art Neville, Charles Neville (of
The Neville Brothers), and
Kidd Jordan, and
Alvin Batiste. In the 1960s he recorded with
Earl King,
Snooks Eaglin and
Fats Domino. He has also played and recorded with
Dave Bartholomew, who is a relative on his mother's side. Bob French & Friends played often on
Frenchmen Street at the D.B.A. nightclub. French's best-known gig was the long-running Monday night jam session at Donna's, across from
Louis Armstrong Park. French is interviewed on screen in the 2005 documentary film
Make It Funky!, which presents a history of
New Orleans music and its influence on
rhythm and blues,
rock and roll,
funk and
jazz. ==Death==