Bob the Drag Queen to star in 'A Drag Queen Christmas'

It's not a glamorous name, but it's one you're not likely to forget any time soon. So how did the 30-year-old performer born Christopher Caldwell become Bob the Drag Queen?
"I really wish I had a great story behind it but I don't," said Bob, speaking to Between The Lines from his home in New York. "I thought Bob the Drag Queen sounded like a funny name so I went with it. The story of how most drag queens get their names is usually pretty boring. It's never an exciting story and I'm not an exception to that rule."
Still, Bob is an exception to many rules. He commonly performs drag with a shaven head instead of a wig. And when there is hair on his head, it's likely to be a wig styled in a natural hairstyle, an afro or even dreads. And, as fans of "RuPaul's Drag Race" will tell you, he usually enters the room purse first — as he did on the very first episode of Season 8.
"I walked into the workroom purse first and then I started making a point of it," Bob recalled. "I made up a little song about it. Because we're all cooped up and crazy, everyone there started singing the song and the next thing you know it's actually on the dance charts."
Bob's latest recording and video is for a song he calls "Bloodbath."
"It's like a bitch track reading all the girls that I beat to get to the crown," explained Bob. "My little concept of that … that it wasn't really a fight, it was a bloodbath. We went in guns blazing.
"Even though we were all friends we went in competing against each other. I'm not trying to be better than anyone else. I'm just trying to be my particular best, and that's why I think I slay. I just compete with myself."
Yet, in RuPaul's eyes, Bob was competing against 11 other contestants. Three times he won the main challenge on the show and once he won the mini-challenge.
"My best moment was when I won the mini-challenge," Bob said. "That was the reading challenge, which is arguably one of the best things to ever come out of 'RuPaul's Drag Race.' That was really fun. That's an episode everyone wants to do well on."
Obviously, Bob did well enough to walk away with the crown — and the $100,000 grand prize. Since then, Bob has been busy traveling the globe. Starting Nov. 16 here in Detroit, Bob will be hosting and headlining a 20-plus city tour called "A Drag Queen Christmas." In addition to Bob, the show will feature such famous "RuPaul's Drag Race" alumni as Season 8 runners up Kim Chi and Naomi Smalls. Also on the bill is Chi Chi DeVayne, Thorgy Thor, Alyssa Edwards, Latrice Royale, Acid Betty, Milk, Pearl, Roxxxy Andrews, Trixie Mattel and Tatianna.
"I love getting to travel with other performers from the show," Bob said. "A lot of our shows are by ourselves, going town to town meeting new people every day. But it's good to see a familiar face every once in a while you're on the road."
And Bob is quick to tell you which he loves seeing most.
"Whenever I get a chance to run into Naomi Small it's a good day," he said. "I love that kid. She is so genuine and young and innocent. Whenever I get a chance to see Naomi Smalls it's gonna be good. I love her. She's one of my favorite people to see."
In addition to "A Drag Queen Christmas," Bob is still doing solo gigs and is also working on his upcoming comedy special to be called "A Queen for the People." Bob says he is enjoying fame but he doesn't worry about whether it will last.
"I never want to consume myself with wanting to stay famous," said Bob. "What I do is I just do my best work or do work that I feel like I'm very proud of. I feel like in the past me doing that has always kept me relevant. It's not important to be really popular or really famous. It's just about doing work I'm proud of."
Be that as it may, Bob is still determined to make the most out of his time as the reigning "RuPaul's Drag Race" crown-holder.
"This experience, in general, has been remarkable and amazing," he said. "I've never had an experience quite what I'm experiencing now. I've been traveling to different countries. I'm performing for younger and younger audiences, which is both terrifying and exciting. I'm realizing that my life span reaches wider than I thought it did. It's actually very humbling."