Sharon Higgins (Sharon Rose, born Sharon Rose Black, July 6, 1941 – January 3, 2003) was an American country and gospel songwriter. Early life Higgins was born in Bonne Terre, Missouri, United States. Higgins was one of fourteen, her father was killed in a car accident. The loss impacted her and her family greatly and music became an outlet for her and she poured herself into her craft Faith was an important theme throughout Higgins' life. A love of God and family was instilled in her at an early age and she credited the Lord with saving her life at the age of five when she was stricken with pneumonia and whooping cough. After the death of her father August "Gus" Black in 1950, Higgins found it difficult to "fit in" in the large family, but felt it was her duty to take care of the little ones left behind. Her mother, Mildred (Blanton), was forced to work several jobs to support the family. Higgins' education was ultimately put on hold so she could do her part. At the age of 17, Higgins married and left home. By the age of 21, she had her first child. The marriage was tumultuous and ended not long after the birth of their daughter. In an effort to support herself, Higgins went to work and started writing. Music Row success In 1968, Higgins took a job at a factory in St. Louis. While working the assembly line and dealing with revelations in her own marriage, Higgins penned the words to "Woman of the World (Leave My World Alone)". Not long after, she took the very last train from St. Louis to the Union Train Station in Nashville, Tennessee. The next day, Higgins got up, packed her guitar, and headed to Music Row. She stumbled into the Surefire Music offices of the Wilburn Brothers. The receptionist told her Teddy Wilburn had no openings that day, but Higgins was determined to wait. That evening as Teddy Wilburn started to leave for the day, he saw the 27-year-old woman on the couch. He felt sorry for her and agreed to hear her songs. That meeting changed her life. Wilburn signed her to an artist development deal that very day. She was just the second woman to sign such a deal with the company; the first was Loretta Lynn. Early music In 1969, the song "Woman of