George Higgs, born March 9, 1930, in Edgecombe County near Speed, North Carolina, was an American Piedmont blues acoustic guitarist, harmonicist, singer, and songwriter. Inspired by his father's harmonica playing, Higgs began his musical journey as a teenager, selling his favorite squirrel dog to buy his first guitar. He performed at local gatherings throughout the 1940s and 1950s while working as a carpenter. In the 1960s, he joined the Friendly Five Gospel Quartet before returning to blues with Elester Anderson. Higgs' debut album, Tarboro Blues, released in 2001, featured traditional tunes and four original songs by Higgs. The album was named Best Blues Album of the Year by Living Blues. He received the North Carolina Heritage Award in 1993 and performed at various venues including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. George Higgs died on January 29, 2013, in Tarboro, North Carolina.
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