Jester Hairston was an American composer, songwriter, arranger, choral conductor, and actor. Hairston's songs include The Begat with Keenan Wynn and Roy Glenn, and Mary's Boy Child. He appeared in the films In the Heat of the Night, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Summer and Smoke, as well as the television series Family Matters and Amen. Hairston passed away in 2000.