Jimmy Swaggart was an American multitalented artist who worked as a Pentecostal televangelist, pastor, media mogul, author, and gospel music artist. He started Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, which runs the SonLife Broadcasting Network (SBN). He also started the Jimmy Swaggart Bible College.
Wife, Children & Parents
As per media information, he was married to his wife, Mrs. Frances Swaggart, from October 10, 1952, until his death. He had a son named Donnie. After his brother’s death, he had three grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
Donnie and his son Gabriel are both preachers, too. That makes four generations of the Swaggart family involved in church work.
He was born to American parents. His father’s name was Mr. Willie Leon Swaggart, and his mother’s name was Mrs. Minnie Bell. His parents were connected through marriage; his mom’s uncle, Elmo Lewis, was married to his dad’s relative.
Swaggart was also a cousin of famous singers Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley. He had a younger sister named Jeanette Ensminger, who passed away in 1999.
Death Date & Reason
On June 15, 2025, he was taken to the hospital and put in intensive care after having a heart attack at home. His son Donnie said, “Without a miracle, he won’t have much time left.” He passed away on July 1, 2025, in a hospital in Baton Rouge. He was 90 years old.
Early Life & Educational Details
His full name was Jimmy Lee Swaggart. He was born on March 15, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana, U.S. He was 90 years old when he died on 1st July 2025. In 1943, when he was 8 years old, he was watching a Western movie at a theater when he felt God speak to him.
Later, while going to Ferriday High School, he and his cousin Jerry Lee Lewis took part in talent shows and played the piano together. In 1951, when he was 16, he was still in high school and keeping some distance from his family’s church life.
During that time, he and his cousin Jerry Lee Lewis played boogie-woogie piano duets together.
Net Worth, Ethnicity & Religion
As per media information, his net worth was approximately $5 million from all of his income sources. He had American White Ethnicity. He went to small Assemblies of God churches in Ferriday and Wisner, Louisiana, along with his parents. He believes in the Christian religion.
Career Details
He was one of the most famous TV preachers in America. In the 1980s, his preaching events were a big part of his work, attracting huge crowds and lots of media coverage.
He preached at large events in many countries, including Argentina, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Liberia, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Russia, and South Africa.
He wrote around 50 Christian books through his ministry. As a gospel singer, he sold over 15 million records around the world and was once nominated for a Grammy Award.
In 1960, he started recording gospel music and sharing it on Christian radio. He later launched SonLife Radio on a noncommercial FM station. In late 1984, he also opened the Jimmy Swaggart Bible College (JSBC).
He was seen as an important voice in the rise of the Christian Right, but he wasn’t part of any political party. In 2018, during a rally in Mississippi, President Donald Trump mocked Swaggart for crying on TV during his 1988 scandal.
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