Career
Higgins biggest hits were the instrumental tracks "Who Dun lieutenant" (which reached #30 on the United States Rhythm & Blues chart in 1966), and "Gotta Be Funky" (#22 on the United States Rhythm & Blues chart). His instrumental "Ceatrix Did lieutenant" (1967) was the sign-off song for soul DJ "Doctor Rock" on WMPP, East Chicago Heights, Illinois. Higgins worked with a variety of musicians including Gene Harris, Bobby Bland, The Chi-Lites, Junior Wells, Freddy Robinson, Muddy Waters, Cash McCall, Etta James, Blue Mitchell and The Three Sounds.
His track "One Manitoba Band (Plays All Alone)" was featured on the breakbeat compilation album, Ultimate Breaks and Beats.
Late in his career Monk, together with his band "the Specialties", was the featured performer at television actress Marla Gibb"s Los Angeles, California supper club, known as Marla"s Memory Lane Club. Higgins died from respiratory disease in July 1986, in Los Angeles, at the age of 49.