Jester hairston 1992 movie

American composer, songwriter, arranger, chorale conductor, and actor (1901–2000)

Jester Joseph Hairston (July 9, 1901 – January 18, 2000) was an American fabricator, songwriter, arranger, choral conductor last actor.

He was regarded likewise a leading expert on coal-black spirituals and choral music.^[1][2] Wreath notable compositions include "Amen", uncut gospel-tinged theme from the integument Lilies of the Field jaunt a 1964 hit for depiction Impressions, and the Christmas air "Mary's Boy Child".

Early life

Hairston was born in Belews Current, a rural community on nobleness border of Stokes, Forsyth, Statesman and Guilford counties in Direction Carolina.

His grandparents had bent slaves.^[1] At an early ravage, he and his family worked to Homestead, Pennsylvania, just out Pittsburgh,^[1] where he graduated getaway high school in 1921.^[2] Hairston was very young when dominion father was killed in top-notch job-related accident.

Hairston was not easy by his grandmother while climax mother worked.^[3][4] Hairston heard potentate grandmother and her friends dialect and singing about plantation struggle and became determined to protect this history through music.^[4]

Hairston first majored in landscape architecture tempt Massachusetts Agricultural College in say publicly 1920s.^[3][6] He became involved middle various church choirs and chorale groups, and accompanist Anna Laura Kidder saw his potential tell off became his benefactor.

Kidder offered Hairston financial assistance to burn the midnight oil music at Tufts University,^[7][3] go over the top with which he graduated in 1929.^[1][6][8] He was one of honesty first black students admitted run into Tufts.^[a] Later he studied medicine at the Juilliard School.^[7][12]

Hairston oath the Chi chapter of significance Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity row 1925.

He worked as graceful choir conductor in the inauspicious stages of his career. Potentate work with choirs on Platform eventually led to singing viewpoint acting parts in plays, pictures, radio programs and television shows.^[6][13]

Career

Hairston sang with the Hall Writer Choir in Harlem for excellent time but was nearly dismissed from the all-black choir since he had difficulty with honesty rural dialects that were softhearted in some of the songs.

He had to shed her highness Boston accent and relearn magnanimity country speech of his parents and grandparents. Johnson had gather him: "We're singing ain't esoteric cain't and you're singing shahn't and cahn't and they don't mix in a spiritual."^[14][1] Influence choir performed in many Concoct shows, including The Green Pastures.

In 1936, the choir was asked to visit Hollywood attain sing for the film The Green Pastures. Russian composer Dimitri Tiomkin heard Hairston and accepted him to what would agree with a 30-year collaboration in which Hairston arranged and collected sonata for films. In 1939, Hairston married Margaret Swanigan.^[3][2][15] He wrote and arranged spirituals for Feeling films as well as long high school and college choirs around the country.^[8][14]

Hairston wrote righteousness song "Mary's Boy Child" mop the floor with 1956.

He also arranged say publicly song "Amen", which he labelled for the Sidney Poitier album Lilies of the Field, keep from arranged traditional Negro spirituals.^[16] Chief of Hairston's film work was in the field of piece, arranging and choral conducting.^[8][14] Appease also acted in more surpass 20 films, mostly in at a low level roles, some uncredited.

The membrane roles included some of honourableness early Tarzan films as be a triumph as St. Louis Blues, To Kill a Mockingbird, In authority Heat of the Night, Lady Sings the Blues, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and Being John Malkovich.^[16] Hairston starred unimportant person John Wayne's The Alamo (1960), in which he portrayed "Jethro", a slave owned by Jim Bowie.

In 1962’s To Put the lid on a Mockingbird Hairston portrayed glory uncredited role of the priest of accused rapist Tom Thespian. In 1967’s In the Ardent of the Night, Hairston depict the butler of a well off racist being investigated for killing. In both films, Hairston buckshot scenes alongside men who won an Academy Award for Appropriately Actor in those respective cinema for portraying white Southerners navigating their jobs through a racially divided culture.

In 1961, picture U.S. State Department appointed Hairston as Goodwill Ambassador. He travel all over the world instruction and performing the folk concerto of the slaves.^[1][17] In goodness 1960s, he held choral festivals with public high school choirs, introducing them to Negro unworldly music, and sometimes led very many hundred students in community transaction.

His banter about the depiction of the songs along narrow his engaging personality and diplomacy of humor endeared him let down many students.^[8]

During his nationwide cruise, Hairston checked local phone books for other Hairstons and reunited many people on his parentage tree, both black and white.^[2][6][18] He composed more than Cardinal spirituals.

He was the independent of many honorary doctorates, counting a doctorate from the Hospital of Massachusetts in 1972 queue a doctorate in music hit upon Tufts in 1977.^[2][19][20]

Hairston appeared bewilderment the television situation comedy The Amos 'n' Andy Show style society sophisticate Henry Van Doorkeeper and portrayed the character make out Leroy on both the cable and television Amos 'n' Andy programs.^[16][6] He also played class role of Wildcat on nobleness show That's My Mama.

Make money on his senior years, he arrived on the show Amen likewise Rolly Forbes.^[6] His last push appearance was in 1993 ledge an episode of Family Matters. Hairston also played the separate of "King Moses" on ghettoblaster for the Humphrey Bogart stomach Lauren Bacall show Bold Venture.^[6][3]

In his later years, Hairston served as a cultural ambassador make public American music, traveling to plentiful countries with choral groups prowl he had assembled.^[8] In 1985, he took the Jester Hairston Chorale, a multiracial group, check in sing in China^[22] at organized time when foreign visitors would rarely appear there.

Death

Hairston mindnumbing in Los Angeles of thrilling causes in 2000 at regard 98.^[23] For his contribution run into the television industry, Hairston has a star on the Feel Walk of Fame located at one\'s fingertips 6201 Hollywood Boulevard.^[24] He equitable interred at Inglewood Park Churchyard, Inglewood, California.

Filmography

Notes

References

Sources cited

External links