Jimmy Swaggart, Renowned Televangelist and Gospel Singer, Dies at 90 in Baton Rouge
Renowned Pentecostal televangelist, pastor, gospel singer, and broadcaster Jimmy Lee Swaggart passed away peacefully on July 1, 2025, at age 90, in his Baton Rouge home. His death followed a cardiac arrest suffered on June 15, after which he remained hospitalized until his passing
🌍 A Global Ministry and Musical Legacy
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Swaggart began preaching on radio in the mid-1950s and launched The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast in 1971. It became an international broadcast reaching over 2 million households during its peak
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A gifted gospel musician, he recorded hundreds of albums, sold over 17 million records, and was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame just days before his death .
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In 2010, Swaggart founded the SonLife Broadcasting Network, cementing his media legacy
🛐 Triumphs and Turmoil
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His ministry reached its zenith in the 1980s, generating an estimated $140–150 million annually
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In 1988 and again in 1991, Swaggart was defrocked by the Assemblies of God following public scandals involving prostitutes. Both controversies were widely televised and marred his ministry
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Despite these setbacks, he remained determined, continuing to preach through his Family Worship Center Church, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, and SonLife Broadcasting Network
💬 Personal Life & Family
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Born March 15, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana, Swaggart came from a musical family, counting Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley as cousins
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He was married to his devoted wife, Frances, for over 70 years until her passing in 2024
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Survived by his son Donnie Swaggart, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren
🕯️ Final Days & Memorial Plans
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Swaggart suffered cardiac arrest on June 15, was hospitalized, and never regained consciousness
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His death occurred the day after his Hall of Fame induction, which the family described as a “bittersweet” experience
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Services are planned at the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge: a public viewing and wake on July 12, followed by a Celebration of Life service on July 13, all livestreamed on SonLife
🕰️ A Polarizing but Enduring Legacy
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Swaggart was widely celebrated for his “fire-and-brimstone” preaching style, blending impassioned sermons with gospel music
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While he amassed millions of followers and built a thriving ministry, critics pointed to his controversial theological views and earlier personal scandals
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For decades, he remained a controversial voice in American Christianity—revered by supporters for his unwavering faith and criticized by detractors for his excesses and hypocrisy
🌟 Final Reflections
In the words shared by his family, Swaggart “fought the good fight” and “finished his earthly race” in faith His life story—marked by spiritual devotion, public downfall, redemption, and resurgence—mirrored the complexities of American religious life.
As the WBAL-TV family and many others reflect on his passing, they remember a man who was both deeply human and passionately divine. The legacy of Jimmy Lee Swaggart will continue through his ministry’s outreach, media presence, and the generational ministry carried on by his son Donnie.