It spawned the hit song "Key Largo", which referenced the Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall film of the same name and reached No.
Higgins was born in Tarpon Springs, Florida, United States,[6] and is of Portuguese, Irish and German descent.
After graduating from Tarpon Springs High School, Higgins enrolled in St. Petersburg College to study journalism and fine art.
He eventually left college and became a drummer for Tommy Roe in his sometime backup band The Roemans,[6] and played alongside such groups as The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys.
Tiring of the rigors of the road and yearning to make his own musical statement, Higgins left The Roemans and returned home to Florida.
Music producers such as Bob Crewe, Phil Gernhard, and Felton Jarvis took an interest in him and contributed to the growth of the young songwriter.
Higgins has served on the Board of Governors of the Atlanta Chapter of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for several years.
He was inducted into the Florida Music Hall of Fame with a lifetime achievement award in January 2016 along with Jimmy Buffett, Julio Iglesias and Tom Petty.