JULY 9, 1901 - JANUARY 18, 2000

Jester Hairston’s career encompassed an impressive range of art forms, from radio and stage to film and choral conducting. Born in North Carolina and raised in Homestead, PA, this distant relative of Mary Cardwell Dawson first studied landscape architecture in Boston but received assistance to study voice and attend Tufts University, becoming one of the first Black graduates of that institution. He later studied at Juilliard and was and was a member of the Hall Johnson Choir. When the choir traveled to Los Angeles to record for the film Green Pastures, the composer Dmitri Tomkin invited him to work on movie scores; this began a 30-year collaboration. Most of his work consisted of composing, arrange, and conducting; he also appeared in minor roles in more than 20 films, including St. Louis Blues, To Jill a Mockingbird, In the Heat of the Night, and The Alamo. His most recognized contribution was the song “Amen” performed in the film Lilies of the Field. He served as a US Goodwill Ambassador, performing spirituals across the globe. He organized choral festivals for high schools and colleges, promoting the performance of spirituals across the country. He composed or arranged more than 300 spirituals during his lifetime.

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For further information on this artist:

· Elaine Woo: “Hester Hairston Dies; Actor Overcame Race Stereotypes. LA Times Jan. 21, 2000. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jan-21-me-56224-story.html. Accessed May 19, 2024.

· “Another Light on the Hill: Black Students at Tufts.” https://exhibits.tufts.edu/spotlight/another-light/feature/jester-hairston. Accessed May 19, 2024.

· Mel Watkins: “Jester Hairston, 98, Choral Expert and Actor.” The New York Times, Jan 30, 2000. https://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/30/nyregion/jester-hairston-98-choral-expert-and-actor.html Accessed May 19, 2024.

· Laura Ferguson: “Found Treasures: Jester Hairston and the Art of Singing.” Tufts Magazine, March 28, 2017. https://now.tufts.edu/2017/03/28/found-treasures-jester-hairston-and-art-singing. Accessed May 19, 2024

· Tufts Archival Research Center: Jester Hairston Collection. https://archives.tufts.edu/repositories/2/resources/612. Accessed May 19, 2024.

· Athelia Knight: “Living Memoir on ‘Amen.’” The Washington Post: January 8, 1989. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/1989/01/08/jester-hairston/wp00000020011117dl1800253/. Accessed May 19, 2024.

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Recordings:

· Trevon Dawson: Jester Hairston Documentary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiHuJAHHDc0. Accessed May 19, 2024

· “Amen”—Jester Hairston. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJyh27LsFWs. “Accessed May 19, 202