Jester Hairston was a remarkable man who had a long and diverse career as a composer, songwriter, arranger, choral conductor, and actor. He was regarded as a leading expert on black spirituals and choral music, and he composed or arranged more than 300 songs, including the famous “Amen” and “Mary’s Boy Child”. He also appeared in many films and TV shows, such as “The Green Pastures”, “Lilies of the Field”, “Amos ‘n Andy”, and “Amen”. He was a trailblazer who broke racial barriers and stereotypes, and he was a goodwill ambassador who traveled the world to share his musical heritage. He died in 2000 at the age of 98, leaving behind a legacy of artistic excellence and cultural influence.
Early Life and Education
Jester Hairston was born on July 9, 1901, in Belews Creek, North Carolina. His grandparents had been slaves, and his father was killed in a job-related accident when he was very young. He was raised by his grandmother while his mother worked, and he heard his grandmother and her friends talking and singing about plantation life. He became determined to preserve this history through music.
He moved with his family to Homestead, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from high school in 1921. He initially majored in landscape architecture at Massachusetts Agricultural College, but he dropped out due to financial difficulties. He became involved in various church choirs and choral groups, and he met a woman named Anna Laura Kidder, who was impressed by his singing and offered to sponsor his education in music. He enrolled at Tufts University, where he graduated in 1929. He was one of the first black students admitted to Tufts. He later studied music at the Juilliard School.
Career in Music and Film
Hairston moved to New York and joined the Hall Johnson Choir, a popular and prestigious black choir that performed in many Broadway shows, including “The Green Pastures”. In 1936, he went to Hollywood with the choir to sing for the film version of the same play. There, he met the Russian composer Dimitri Tiomkin, who invited him to collaborate with him for the next 30 years. Hairston arranged and collected music for many films, such as “Lost Horizon”, “Red River”, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, and “Land of the Pharaohs”. He also formed his own choir, which was the first integrated choir used in films.
Hairston also pursued an acting career, taking whatever roles he could find. He played African natives in Tarzan films, butlers in other films, and Leroy on the radio and TV series “Amos ‘n Andy”. He later regretted his participation in the latter, which was criticized for its negative portrayal of black people. He also appeared in more dignified and positive roles, such as the butler in “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the choir leader in “Lilies of the Field”, and the wise Rolly Forbes in the sitcom “Amen”. He also dubbed the singing voice of Sidney Poitier in “Lilies of the Field”, for which he composed and arranged the song “Amen”. This song became a hit for the Impressions in 1964, and was later covered by many artists. Another famous song that Hairston wrote was “Mary’s Boy Child”, a Christmas song that was recorded by Harry Belafonte, Boney M, and others.
Hairston was not only a performer, but also a teacher and a promoter of black music and culture. He conducted choral groups in colleges and high schools, and he toured the world as a goodwill ambassador for the State Department, teaching spirituals and gospel songs in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. He was regarded as a leading authority on black spirituals and choral music, and he received many honors and awards for his contributions.
Death and Legacy
Hairston died in Los Angeles of natural causes on January 18, 2000, at the age of 98. He was survived by his wife, Isabelle, whom he married in 1939, and his son, Timothy. He was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery.
Hairston left behind a rich and diverse legacy of music and film that spanned seven decades. He was a pioneer who opened doors for other black artists, and he was a preserver who kept alive the musical traditions of his ancestors. He was a versatile and talented artist who excelled in many genres and mediums, and he was a generous and humble man who shared his gifts with the world. He was, in the words of his friend and colleague Harry Belafonte, “a man of enormous grace”.
