Tammy Faye Bakker Messner is best known for her former years as a Christian televangelist and talk show host. She was married to Jim Bakker and co-hosted The 700 Club and the PTL Club for more than two decades (1966 - 1987). She is also well known for her trademark use of heavy eye makeup.
Born: March 7, 1942.
Born in International Falls, Minnesota, Tammy Faye LaValley was the oldest child of eight siblings. Her parents, Carl and Rachel LaValley were Pentecostal preachers who divorced when Tammy Faye was a baby. Tammy's mother continued to raise her in a strict Christian environment. When Tammy was six years old, her mother remarried.
Tammy Faye remarried in October of 1993 to Roe Messner, the former Heritage USA building contractor who now specializes in church construction. After living in Charlotte, North Carolina, they recently moved to the Village of Loch Lloyd, near Kansas City, Missouri.
Tammy and Jim Bakker attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They left there in 1961, traveling and leading church revivals. Jim would preach and Tammy would sing. Eventually they ended up in Virginia where they helped found The 700 Club. Tammy and Jim worked for Pat Robertson at CBN (The Christian Broadcasting Network) for nine years. They also helped co-found TBN (The Trinity Broadcasting Network) with Paul and Jan Crouch. In the mid 70s, Jim and Tammy moved to North Carolina and started the PTL (Praise the Lord) Club. During this time Tammy also hosted her own show, Tammy Faye's House Party.
Tammy Faye continued her television career. In 1996 she co-hosted the syndicated talk show, The Jim J. and Tammy Faye Show with Jim J. Bullock and in 2004 she played a role in the reality television series, The Surreal Life. She also made appearances on several talk and television shows, including Larry King Live, Sally Jessy Raphael, The Drew Carey Show, Prime Time, and many more.
Tammy Faye has written two best-selling books, I Gotta Be Me and Run Towards The Roar. She also published her autobiography, Tammy: Telling It My Way, in 1996.
- Tammy Faye has recorded over 25 singing albums.
- She was listed in the "Outstanding Young Women of America."
- Her documentary, The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2000), was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Cancer:
In 1996 Tammy was diagnosed with colon cancer. After undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments, in 2004 doctors discovered that the cancer had spread to her lungs.In 2000 during an interview with RuPaul, Tammy Faye revealed that her faith, though tested by fame, scandal and suffering, was still strong. When RuPaul asked, "Why do you think God chose you to be in the spotlight?" Tammy Faye responded, "I think He has to choose someone that He can trust, and I think God knew He could trust me to serve Him no matter what, and no matter what the consequences were."
On May 8, 2007, Tammy Faye posted a farewell letter to friends and family on her Web site. The note reads, "The doctors have stopped trying to treat the cancer and so now it's up to God and my faith. And that's enough! But please continue to pray for the pain and sick stomach." She passed away peacefully at her home on Friday, July 20, 2007.
