Latest news with #MickeyGilley
South China Morning Post
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Jimmy Swaggart, US televangelist undone by prostitute scandal, dies at 90
Jimmy Swaggart, who was one of America's most influential televangelists in the 1980s before an affair with a prostitute brought his career crashing down, has died at the age of 90. Jimmy Swaggart Ministries confirmed his death on social media, and his family thanked medical staff at Baton Rouge General Medical Centre in Louisiana. It did not share details of the cause of death. In his heyday as a fundamentalist Pentecostal preacher, Swaggart had an estimated global audience of 200 million. Then came the prostitute scandal in 1988. With tears gushing down his cheeks, Swaggart admitted to his congregation that he had sinned – without providing details – and begged forgiveness. Swaggart, born March 15, 1935, grew up in the rough-and-tumble and racially segregated Louisiana backwater of Ferriday with two cousins who also would become famous – rock 'n' roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis and country singer Mickey Gilley. As a boy, Swaggart was surrounded by the fire-and-brimstone Pentecostal version of Christianity he would later take to the airwaves. His father, a grocer and a tough disciplinarian, preached himself from time to time and Swaggart was only nine when he claimed he was first 'called' to the ministry. 'You will preach my Gospel all over the world. You will even take it to Africa,' was the command that Swaggart said God gave him.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jimmy Swaggart, TV Evangelist and Cousin to Jerry Lee Lewis Who Became Enmeshed in Scandal, Dies at 90
Jimmy Swaggart, a scandal-plagued Pentecostal televangelist who was known for his fire-and-brimstone sermonizing, and who waged a fiery campaign against rock 'n' roll even though he was the cousin of rock pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis and country star Mickey Gilley, has died at age 90. The death was confirmed on Swaggart's social media accounts Tuesday morning. No details were given, but Swaggart had been reported as near-death by his ministry 16 days ago, after he suffered a major coronary event on Father's Day. More from Variety CMA Awards Add Tributes to Jerry Lee Lewis and Rolling Stones; 17 Lineup Additions Include Katy Perry, Black Keys, Luke Combs Bob Dylan Pays Tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis With Cover of 'I Can't Seem To Say Goodbye' 15 of Jerry Lee Lewis' Greatest and Most 'Breathless' Musical Moments Although Gilley and Lewis were more likely to popularly referred to as the successful musicians in the family. Swaggart had a longstanding recording career of his own, albeit strictly in the traditional gospel field, as he eschewed more contemporary forms of popular music as the devil's gateway. Swaggart had his own pathways to the dark side, as evidenced in headlines in the 1980s and '90s. He was first accused of soliciting prostitution in 1988, which led to his defrocking by the Assembly of God denomination. He gave a widely rebroadcast 'I have sinned' speech, with famous shots of tears streaking down his face. Having been cut loose by the AOG, he took his ministry non-denominational. But in 1991, he was pulled over in California with a woman in his car who said she was a prostitute Swaggart had picked up. But he did not confess this time, instead stepping aside as minister for a short time before returning to the pulpit. Jimmy Swaggart Ministries claimed that he had sold 15 million copies of his albums, although there is no verification of that. His website offers more than 75 CDs for sale — including two volumes of 'The Boys From Ferriday,' albums he recorded jointly with Jerry Lee Lewis. Cousins Lewis and Gilley both died in 2022. More to come… Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
