J. C. Higginbotham was born on May 11, 1906, in Social Circle, Georgia, and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He became a prominent figure in the jazz world as a trombonist known for his robust and swinging playing style. During the 1930s and 1940s, Higginbotham played with several leading swing bands, including those led by Luis Russell, Benny Carter, Red Allen, Chick Webb, Fletcher Henderson, and the Mills Blue Rhythm Band. He also collaborated with the legendary Louis Armstrong when Armstrong took over Russell's band from 1937 to 1940.

In 1947, Higginbotham began leading his own groups, having recorded extensively both as a sideman and as a leader. He had a significant partnership with Red Allen during the 1940s. After a period away from the scene, he returned to lead bands in Boston and Cleveland in the 1950s and performed regularly at the Metropole in New York City between 1956 and 1959. In the 1960s, he led his own Dixieland band at the same venue.

Higginbotham's discography includes recordings as a leader, such as "Callin' the Blues" with Tiny Grimes (1958) and "Higgy Comes Home" (1979), and as a sideman on albums with artists like Red Allen, Kenny Burrell, Buck Clayton, Coleman Hawkins, and Jimmy Witherspoon. He also appeared on the DuMont series Jazz Party in 1958 and toured Europe with Sammy Price, performing in Scandinavia. Higginbotham briefly reunited with Louis Armstrong in 1964.

J. C. Higginbotham passed away on May 26, 1973, at Harlem Hospital in New York City.