Tammy Faye Messner biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Former televangelist. Born Tammy Faye LaValley, on March 7, 1942, in International Falls, Minnesota. The oldest of eight children, Tammy Faye was raised in a devoutly Christian environment by her mother, Rachel. With a desire to become a missionary, Tammy Faye enrolled at North Central Bible College, in Minneapolis, where her engaging personality earned her many friends and one ardent admirer-fellow classmate Jim Bakker. The couple dated for awhile, before marrying in 1961, at which time they were forced to drop out of college because of the school’s strict policy regarding married students. The couple has two children.

Television Ministry

With the goal of establishing a traveling ministry, Tammy Faye and Jim spent the next few years preaching in various cities throughout America. In the mid-1960s, they were introduced to Pat Robertson, who was in the midst of launching the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). At Robertson's request, the Bakkers moved to Portsmouth, Virginia, and agreed to host the Christian talk show The 700 Club. Premiering in 1966, the show met with overwhelming popularity, becoming the prototype of modern television ministry.

In 1973, the Bakkers left CBN in order to establish the short-lived Trinity Broadcasting Systems. The following year, Jim and Tammy Faye became the hosts of an existing North Carolina-based talk show, which they renamed the PTL (Praise the Lord) Club. Fueled by the success of the PTL Club, the Bakkers quickly established an entire Christian television network, which they called the PTL or Inspirational Network. With contributions from their loyal audience, the Bakkers were able to finance a 2,300-acre Christian theme park, Heritage U.S.A. At the height of their popularity, the Bakkers were celebrities in the gospel circuit, with an opulent lifestyle to match. The PTL Club reached an audience of 13 million viewers, while Heritage U.S.A. attracted six million visitors annually.

The Empire Unravels

The Bakkers' empire began to unravel in 1980, when the national spotlight fell on Jim's adulterous affair with a church secretary, Jessica Hahn. Over the next few years, sufficient evidence of Jim's numerous sexual escapades surfaced, causing the Assemblies of God to strip him of his ministerial credentials. In 1987 and 1988, he made a few failed attempts to rebuild his ministry. Ultimately, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) investigation into the financial activities of the PTL Network culminated in Jim’s conviction of fraud and conspiracy in 1989. During the tumultuous six-week trial, the federal government succeeded in proving that Jim solicited a total of $158 million from followers of the PTL ($3.7 million of which he used for personal means). He was given a 45-year prison sentence, which was later reduced to six years. Jim Bakker was paroled in 1994 and has since reestablished himself as a minister.

In 1992, after a 31-year relationship, Tammy Faye and Jim divorced. The following year, Tammy Faye wed Roe Messner, a family friend and business associate of the Bakkers. Shortly after their marriage, Messner was imprisoned for fraud, but has since been released.

Solo Efforts

Also in 1996, Tammy Faye teamed with former Too Close for Comfort star J.M.J. Bullock to host a short-lived daily talk show titled The Jim J. and Tammy Faye Show. Later that year, she published an autobiography, Tammy: Telling It My Way. It was during this year, that Tammy Faye was also first diagnosed with colon cancer.

Tammy Faye was the subject of a fairly well-received documentary, The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2000) and then in 2004, appeared in the second season of VH-1 reality series The Surreal Life, which featured B-List celebrities such as Erik Estrada and Vanilla Ice. The group of former stars lived together in a Hollywood mansion while cameras followed the group's antics. During this year, the cancer spread to her lungs.

In May 2007, Tammy Faye announced that doctors stopped treating her cancer and her weight dropped to 65 pounds. She posted a goodbye letter to her friends and supporters on her website. In early July 2007, a gaunt Tammy Faye made a final television appearance and said goodbye to fans on Larry King Live. Tammy Faye lost her battle with lung cancer and died on July 20, 2007 at the age of 65.

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