Alexis started playing piano at an early age and left home while still in her teens. It was the discovery of the musical contributions of Ellington and Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, that made her decide to learn music the old fashioned way: in the clubs of New York City.

From the beginning it was clear that Alexis' sound was a brand new spin on old soul. Her debut at the Birdland Jazz Club found the young performer eagerly embraced by New York's hip hop and poetry scenes. She has collaborated with a diverse range of artists, from poet Saul Williams, to opening for hip hop pioneer, Gil Scott Heron. She has worked for Roy Hargrove as the girl-singer in his big band, and her own 17-piece musical arrangement was performed live at a recent National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

In the summer of 2001 Heineken International sponsored Miss Hightower and her band on two European tours where she was dubbed as "the sweet promise" by the press. The summer of 2003 saw Alexis Hightower's return to Europe, appearing as the opening headliner for the 10th Annual Mumyhua Music Festival in Southern Austria. Alexis was in the spotlight on the Austrian National News Television, and her music was praised as "seductive," and "enchanting" by the German language press.