[3] While her closest connection in the popular music of the 1930s and 1940s was Billie Holiday, the prolific songwriter was niece of the classic African-American jazz trombonist J. C. Higginbotham.

She was a music student of choral conductor Kemper Harreld, of Morehouse College fame, and Frederic Hall.

Garnett Roy Higginbotham was a hard working man, and had jobs as a tailor, educator, and journalist, all while raising Irene and teaching her piano.

[6] She was also a concert pianist at the age of 15 and joined the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1944 when she was about 26.

While Higginbotham remains one of the least well-known or heralded songwriters, her large contributions to jazz and popular song are undeniable.

[7][8] Higginbotham worked with many notable big bands, including but not limited to Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton, and Duke Ellington.

“Good Morning Heartache” is considered a standard in the jazz repertoire and routinely played to this day.

Using her large range of emotion with her compositions, she moved to creating jazz, boogie woogie, jump blues, and R&B.

One of Higginbotham’s publishers also used the name Glenn Gibson to copyright songs, even some that were public domain.

As she had a hand in creating an early boogie woogie instruction book and she worked under manager and promoter Joe Davis.