American rhythm and blues, soul and funk singer. Born 1940 in Gadsden, Alabama. Teaming with veteran producer Bobby Robinson, Hightower cut some fine soul during the '60s. The Gadsden, AL, native traveled the gospel circuit before going secular, waxing his first singles for Robinson's Enjoy logo. Hightower's soulful version of the folk standard If I Had a Hammer turned some heads, but he didn't scale the R&B charts until 1969 when It's a Miracle proved a decent seller on Capitol.