Jester Joseph Hairston (July 9, 1901 – January 18, 2000) was an American
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and def ...
,
songwriter
A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...
,
arranger
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestrat ...
, choral conductor and
actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
. He was regarded as a leading expert on
black spirituals and choral music.
His notable compositions include "
Amen", a gospel-tinged theme from the film ''
Lilies of the Field'' and a 1964 hit for
the Impressions, and the
Christmas song "
Mary's Boy Child".
Early life
Hairston was born in
Belews Creek, a rural community on the border of
Stokes,
Forsyth,
Rockingham and
Guilford counties in
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. His grandparents had been slaves.
[ At an early age, he and his family moved to ]Homestead, Pennsylvania
Homestead is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Monongahela River southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. The borough is known for the Homestead strike of 1892, an important event in the history of labor relation ...
, just outside Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
,[ where he graduated from high school in 1921.][ Hairston was very young when his father was killed in a job-related accident. Hairston was raised by his grandmother while his mother worked.][ ][ ] Hairston heard his grandmother and her friends talking and singing about plantation life and became determined to preserve this history through music.[
Hairston initially majored in ]landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...
at Massachusetts Agricultural College
The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. It is the Flagship university, flagship campus of the Univer ...
in the 1920s.[ ] He became involved in various church choirs and choral groups, and accompanist Anna Laura Kidder saw his potential and became his benefactor. Kidder offered Hairston financial assistance to study music at Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...
,[ from which he graduated in 1929.][ ] He was one of the first black students admitted to Tufts. Later he studied music at the Juilliard School
The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...
.[ ]
Hairston pledged the Chi chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity in 1925. He worked as a choir conductor in the early stages of his career. His work with choirs on Broadway eventually led to singing and acting parts in plays, films, radio programs and television shows.[
]
Career
Hairston sang with the Hall Johnson Choir in Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
for a time but was nearly fired from the all-black choir because he had difficulty with the rural dialects that were used in some of the songs. He had to shed his Boston accent and relearn the country speech of his parents and grandparents. Johnson had told him: "We're singing ain't and cain't and you're singing shahn't and cahn't and they don't mix in a spiritual."[ The choir performed in many Broadway shows, including '' The Green Pastures''. In 1936, the choir was asked to visit Hollywood to sing for the film '' The Green Pastures''. Russian composer Dimitri Tiomkin heard Hairston and invited him to what would become a 30-year collaboration in which Hairston arranged and collected music for films. In 1939, Hairston married Margaret Swanigan.][ He wrote and arranged spirituals for Hollywood films as well as for high school and college choirs around the country.][ ]
Hairston wrote the song " Mary's Boy Child" in 1956. He also arranged the song " Amen", which he dubbed for the Sidney Poitier film '' Lilies of the Field'', and arranged traditional Negro spirituals.[ Most of Hairston's film work was in the field of composing, arranging and choral conducting.][ He also acted in more than 20 films, mostly in small roles, some uncredited. The film roles included some of the early Tarzan films as well as '' St. Louis Blues'', '']To Kill a Mockingbird
''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a 1960 Southern Gothic novel by American author Harper Lee. It became instantly successful after its release; in the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' ...
'', '' In the Heat of the Night'', '' Lady Sings the Blues'', '' I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'' and ''Being John Malkovich
''Being John Malkovich'' is a 1999 American surrealist fantasy comedy drama film directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, both making their feature film debut. The film stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, and Catherine Keener, wit ...
''.[ ] Hairston starred in John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
's '' The Alamo'' (1960), in which he portrayed "Jethro", a slave owned by Jim Bowie. In 1962’s ''To Kill a Mockingbird
''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a 1960 Southern Gothic novel by American author Harper Lee. It became instantly successful after its release; in the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' ...
'' Hairston portrayed the uncredited role of the father of accused rapist Tom Robinson. In 1967’s '' In the Heat of the Night'', Hairston portrayed the butler of a wealthy racist being investigated for murder. In both films, Hairston shot scenes alongside men who won an Academy Award for Best Actor
The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading ...
in those respective films for portraying white Southerners navigating their jobs through a racially divided culture.
In 1961, the U.S. State Department appointed Hairston as Goodwill Ambassador. He traveled all over the world teaching and performing the folk music of the slaves.[ In the 1960s, he held choral festivals with public high school choirs, introducing them to Negro spiritual music, and sometimes led several hundred students in community performances. His banter about the history of the songs along with his engaging personality and sense of humor endeared him to many students.][
During his nationwide travels, Hairston checked local phone books for other Hairstons and reunited many people on his family tree, both black and white.][ He composed more than 300 spirituals. He was the recipient of many honorary doctorates, including a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in 1972 and a doctorate in music from Tufts in 1977.][
Hairston appeared on the television situation comedy '' The Amos 'n' Andy Show'' as society sophisticate Henry Van Porter and portrayed the character of Leroy on both the radio and television ''Amos 'n' Andy'' programs.][ He also played the role of Wildcat on the show '' That's My Mama''. In his senior years, he appeared on the show '' Amen'' as Rolly Forbes.][ His last television appearance was in 1993 on an episode of '' Family Matters''. Hairston also played the role of "King Moses" on radio for the ]Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...
and Lauren Bacall
Betty Joan Perske (September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014), professionally known as Lauren Bacall ( ), was an American actress. She was named the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the America ...
show '' Bold Venture''.[
In his later years, Hairston served as a cultural ambassador for American music, traveling to numerous countries with choral groups that he had assembled.][ In 1985, he took the Jester Hairston Chorale, a multiracial group, to sing in ]China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
at a time when foreign visitors would rarely appear there.
Death
Hairston died in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
of natural causes in 2000 at age 98. For his contribution to the television industry, Hairston has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
located at 6201 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It runs through the Hollywood, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, and Los Feliz districts. Its western terminus is at Sunset Plaza Drive in the Hollyw ...
.[ ] He is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. ...
.
Filmography
Notes
References
Sources cited
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External links
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African American Registry biography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hairston, Jester
1901 births
2000 deaths
People from Forsyth County, North Carolina
Male actors from North Carolina
Male actors from Pennsylvania
African-American songwriters
African-American composers
African-American male composers
African-American male songwriters
American male film actors
American male radio actors
American male television actors
Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery
Juilliard School alumni
People from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
People from Homestead, Pennsylvania
Tufts University alumni
20th-century African-American male actors
20th-century American male actors
Songwriters from Pennsylvania
Songwriters from North Carolina
20th-century American composers
20th-century American male musicians
20th-century African-American musicians
American male songwriters
20th-century American songwriters