If $X$ is a seminormal surface, then actually this vanishing is equivalent to $X$ being Du Bois: 1) If $X$ is Du Bois, the vanishing is a direct consequence of Cor.6.2 of [this paper][1], but in this case it is actually pretty easy to prove directly, see #2. 2) Let $P\in X$ be the singular point. There is a standard distinguished triangle $$ \underline\Omega_X^0 \to \mathscr O_P \oplus R\mu_*\mathscr O_{\widetilde X}\to R\mu_*\mathscr O_E\overset{+1}\to.$$ See 4.11 of [Du Bois's paper][2] for this. It is easy to see (or use Lemma 2.1 of [this paper][3]) that this implies that there exists a distinguished triangle $$R\mu_*\mathscr O_{\widetilde X}(-E)\to \underline\Omega_X^0 \to \mathscr O_P\overset{+1}\to$$ Now observe that $h^0(\underline\Omega_X^0)$ is the seminormalization of $\mathscr O_X$ and the outside terms have no cohomology higher than $h^1$, so the only non-trivial map is $$R^1\mu_*\mathscr O_{\widetilde X}(-E)\to h^1(\underline\Omega_X^0)$$ This is an isomorphism, because $\mathscr O_P$ has very little cohomology. It follows that $X$ is Du Bois if and only if $R^1\mu_*\mathscr O_{\widetilde X}(-E)=0$. $\quad\square$ **Remark** It is essential in this proof that $X$ is a surface. In higher dimensions it is true that Du Bois implies the desired vanishing, but I don't think the opposite implication holds. See #1 and my second comment below. [1]: https://projecteuclid.org/journals/kyoto-journal-of-mathematics/volume-51/issue-1/Du-Bois-pairs-and-vanishing-theorems/10.1215/0023608X-2010-020.full [2]: http://www.numdam.org/item/?id=BSMF_1981__109__41_0 [3]: https://www.ams.org/journals/jams/2010-23-03/S0894-0347-10-00663-6/home.html