Alex Higgins was not only a talented musician, but he was also a notorious personality. His volatile temperament and frequent arguments made Higgins polarizing. He was not seen as a "right type" and his uninhibited lifestyle was spotted by the national press.
Steve James defeated Alex Higgins at the 1990 World Snooker Championship in the opening round. With a score of 18-15, he defeated Ray Reardon to win the semi-final. Higgins became the first person to qualify for four consecutive semifinals. In the final, he lost to Jimmy White, who was in the semi-final, while Davy Ferguson was in the final.
Alex Higgins struggled with long-term addictions to alcohol and smoking throughout his career. In 1998, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. He continued playing snooker and became the first Irish player to win the title in 2006.
Alex "Hurricane” Higgins, in his prime, was a quick shotmaker. He was also a flamboyant character, as evidenced by his open-necked shirt. He often had a pall bearer accompany him. He was also a keen smoker, and in 2006 he joined more than 200 smokers in suing Benson & Hedges, a snooker sponsor.
During his career, Higgins had numerous vices, including alcohol, cocaine and gambling. Holly Haise, Higgins' ex-girlfriend claimed that she stabbed him three times in his arm. His life was also complicated by a long battle with throat cancer. He was 61 years old when he died. His funeral was held at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast.
Alex "Hurricane” Higgins was a notorious rebel and anti hero. He was a wild character and difficult to work with. He was actually banned from the popular TV snooker show Pot Black for getting into trouble with the police.
Higgins lived in danger and was often out of country. Lynn Higgins, his wife was once overcome with emotion after he won matches. Lauren, Higgins' daughter, was brought onto the Crucible stage following the World Championship. He threatened to shoot Dennis Taylor in the World Cup earlier in that season, and was also involved in an altercation. The police case against him was dropped as there was no evidence that he had actually hurt anyone.
Higgins was frequently the subject of controversy. This is evident by his frequent arguments as well as his regular alcohol consumption. Higgins was a regular user of cocaine, and had been told he had throat cancer. He also struggled with the attention he was getting. The crowd was often fascinated by him, and he had no manager. However, when his talent was on display, he was a box office draw.
Alex "Hurricane," a fast-shooter, was an artist with great talent who was sometimes hampered from his talents. He was a rebel and an anti hero. He beat the best players of the world and won, but he had an air that was unnerving.