Johnny Higginbotham’s parents met in the most unusual of circumstances. Johnny’s father owns one of the premier luxury hotels in Myrtle Beach, SC called the ‘Ocean Bush Hotel.’ See, Johnny’s father’s name is Phillip Higginbotham, and the Higginbotham family came to the Myrtle Beach area with old plantation money to begin a new venture in tourism back in the early 1900’s. Some lumber baron made it possible to inhabit this marshy area, and then people came in droves to seek a new life. Another family seeking a new life in the area was the Rabinowitz family. The Rabinowitz family escaped the crowded city of New York for a more rural setting in South Carolina, plus its milder temperatures. The Rabinowitz family was of Eastern European, Jewish, decent. They came to …show more content…
Howard Rabinowitz was the grandson of the first Rabinowitz family in the area. The link between Johnny’s father, Phillip Higginbotham, and his mother, Susannah Rabinowitz, came through Howard Rabinowitz knowing Phillip Higginbotham. Howard Rabinowitz was the lawyer for the ‘Ocean Bush Hotel’, owned by Phillip Higginbotham. Howard stood at around 5’9, and he was reserved and not quick tempered. Phillip Higginbotham used Howard, the lawyer, as his “right hand man” whenever the ‘Ocean Bush Hotel’ would get sued by a certain party. Howard also represented most of the other luxury hotels in the Myrtle Beach, SC at the time. It was in the summer of 1981 when Howard Rabinowitz got a “wild hair” and wanted to have Phillip Higginbotham over for dinner with him and his wife. Howard’s wife’s name is Susannah, and they both wanted to keep excellent relations with the hotel tycoon. This would be the first time Philip would be over for dinner at his lawyer’s home. Phillip stood at 6’2 when he arrived at the doorstep of Howard and Susannah’s home in Myrtle Beach for