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Jester Hairston

Personal Profile

Jester Hairston
  • Birth Name:
    Jester Joseph Hairston
  • Nickname:
    Rolly
  • Date of Birth:
    July 9, 1901
  • Zodiac Sign:
    Cancer
  • Place of Birth:
    Belews Creek, North Carolina
  • Place of Death:
    Los Angeles, California
  • Date of Death:
    January 18, 2000
  • Sex:
    Male
  • Nationality:
    American
  • Education:

    Massachusetts Agriculture College

    Tufts University

Family

Jester Hairston
  • Spouse:
    Isabelle Margaret Swanigan

Career

Jester Hairston

Trivia

Jester Hairston
  • In 1985 he took the Jester Hairston Chorale, a multi-racial group, to sing in the People's Republic of China, at a time when foreign visitors were still quite rare in that country.
  • In his later years, Hairston served as a cultural ambassador for American music, traveling to numerous countries with choral groups that he had assembled.
  • His last television appearance was in 1993 on an episode of Family Matters, a sitcom.
  • In his senior years he appeared in the show Amen as Rolly Forbes (1986-1991).
  • He also played the role of Wildcat (1974-1975) on the show That's My Mama.
  • He had been in the radio program that was the basis for the TV show.
  • Hairston appeared on The Amos 'n' Andy Show.
  • Hairston also acted in over twenty films, mostly in small parts, some of which were not credited to him.
  • He arranged traditional "Negro spirituals". Most of Hairston's film work was in the field of composing, arranging, and choral conducting.
  • He also wrote the song "Amen", which he dubbed for the Sidney Poitier film Lilies of the Field (1963).

Biography

Jester Hairston
Last Updated: Friday, August 21, 2009

Hairston was born in Belews Creek, a rural community on the border of Stokes and Forsyth counties in North Carolina. At an early age he and his family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His grandparents had been slaves.

He graduated cum laude from Tufts University and studied music at the Juilliard School as well. He worked as a choir conductor in the early stages of his career. His work with choirs on Broadway eventually led to his singing and acting in plays, films, radio programs, and television shows.

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 multi-racial group, to sing in China, at a time when foreign visitors were still quite rare in that country.

Filmography

Jester Hairston

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