Bio

Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California. Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, beginning in 1958. He then freelanced extensively with hard bop and other post-bop players, including Donald Byrd, Dexter Gordon, Grant Green, Joe Henderson, Paul Horn, Milt Jackson, Jackie McLean, Pat Metheny, Hank Mobley, Thelonious Monk, Lee Morgan, David Murray, Art Pepper, Sonny Rollins, Mal Waldron, and Cedar Walton. He was one of the house drummers for Blue Note Records and played on dozens of Blue Note albums of the 1960s.

On a whole, he played on over 700 recordings, including recordings of rock and funk. He appeared as a jazz drummer in the 2001 movie Southlander.

In 1989, Higgins cofounded a cultural center, The World Stage, in Los Angeles to encourage and promote younger jazz musicians. The center provides workshops in performance and writing, as well as concerts and recordings. Higgins also taught in the jazz studies program at the University of California, Los Angeles.

He was divorced from wife Mauricina Altier Higgins and had three sons, William, Joseph, and David, as well as a stepson Jody. His youngest son Benjamin resides in Los Angeles. He also had two daughters, Rickie Wade and Heidi. He died of kidney and liver failure on May 3, 2001 at a hospital in Inglewood, California.

Praise for Billy Higgins

Charles Lloyd is speaking of the late master drummer: Billy Higgins.

"Let me tell you something: He had the dance-the dance of life. He was a beautiful soul who graced this planet and made it a better place. You know the same sun shines everywhere, but its manifestation in some places is stronger. Billy's spirit was so like that, so all-embracing. I feel him more than ever, but at the same time, I feel protective or something."

"I remember we were getting ready to do a take of 'Dorotea's Studio' [from Voice in the Night], and Billy was looking up at the ceiling. I said, 'What's happening, Master Higgins?' He said, 'I'm trying to think what to play here.' I'd never seen him do that. He said, 'OK,' and played this incredible march. Here's this little Spanish song, and he played dut-dut-dut. It was just swinging, just dancing. That's what he does-he just comes up with what's needed."

Quotes by Billy Higgins