Tammy Faye Bakker (Messner) Dies

Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Bakker), who with her then husband Jim Bakker presided over the building of the multi-zillion dollar Praise the Lord Network and theme park, and then watched the whole thing collapse in disgrace, has passed away:

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Tammy Faye Messner, who as Tammy Faye Bakker helped her husband, Jim, build a multimillion-dollar evangelism empire and then watched it collapse in disgrace, has died. She was 65.

Messner had battled colon cancer since 1996 that more recently spread to her lungs. She died peacefully Friday at her home near Kansas City, Mo., said Joe Spotts, her manager and booking agent.

A family service was held Saturday in a private cemetery, where her ashes were interred, he said.

I remember meeting her one time way back when what eventually became Trinity Broadcasting Network was started in Tustin, CA. My dad's quartet was invited to sing on-the-air for the grand opening of the new studio, and at that time Jim and Tammy Faye were working with Paul and Jan Crouch (she of the purple hair). They had a falling out sometime later and Jim and Tammy Faye moved to South Carolina and started the PTL Network.

She definitely led an interesting life. I doubt if anyone who ever watched PTL will ever forget her heavily made up and mascara-streaked face. I'm glad she found some peace in her latter years. SmartChristian has a photo from her last on-air interview with Larry King. I didn't see it when it was broadcast and the image is rather shocking.

Fox News has a lengthy piece on her life here.