Tammy Faye Messner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tammy Faye Messner
Messner in 2004
Born	Tamara Faye LaValley (1942-03-07)March 7, 1942 International Falls, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	July 20, 2007(2007-07-20) (aged 65) Loch Lloyd, Missouri, U.S.
Occupation	Evangelist singer entrepreneur author television personality
Years active	1962–2007
Spouse(s)	Jim Bakker ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1992)​ Roe Messner ​ ​ (m. 1993)​
Children	2, including Jay Bakker

Tamara Faye Messner (born Tamara Faye LaValley, later known as Tammy Faye Bakker; March 7, 1942 – July 20, 2007) was an American evangelist, singer, and TV star. An evangelist is someone who shares Christian beliefs, often through public speaking.

She became well-known for her work with The PTL Club. This was a Christian TV show she started with her husband, Jim Bakker, in 1974. Before that, they hosted a puppet show for kids in the early 1960s. Tammy Faye also had a career as a singer. In 1978, she and Jim built Heritage USA, which was a Christian theme park.

Tammy Faye gained a lot of attention when Jim Bakker faced legal issues in 1989. This led to The PTL Club ending. She divorced Jim in 1992 and later married Roe Messner. In 1996, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She bravely fought the illness for over ten years before she passed away in 2007.

Throughout her life, Tammy Faye was known for her unique and colorful style. She also had different views from many other evangelists. She was especially known for supporting LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people. She also reached out to people with HIV/AIDS when the AIDS epidemic was at its peak. She wrote three books about her life.

Biography

Early Life (1942–1959)

Tamara Faye LaValley was born in International Falls, Minnesota. Her parents, Rachel Minnie and Carl Oliver LaValley, were both Pentecostal preachers.

Her parents married in 1941. After Tammy Faye was born, her parents divorced. This made her mother feel distant from the church. Both of her parents remarried. Her mother married Fred Willard Grover, and they created a large blended family. Tammy Faye was the oldest child in this new family.

Marriage to Jim Bakker and Early Work (1960–1973)

In 1960, Tammy Faye met Jim Bakker at North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They got married on April 1, 1961. The next year, they moved to South Carolina and started their ministry. They traveled across the United States. Jim would preach, and Tammy Faye would sing and play the accordion.

They had two children. Their daughter, Tammy Sue "Sissy" Bakker, was born in 1970. Their son, Jamie Charles Bakker (known as Jay Bakker), was born in 1975.

Jim and Tammy Faye started working in television early on. They were founding members of The 700 Club in Virginia Beach. While in Portsmouth, they hosted a popular children's show called Jim and Tammy. They also created a puppet show for kids on Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). This show ran from 1964 to 1973.

The PTL Club (1974–1987)

Tammy Faye with her husband Jim Bakker during a PTL broadcast around 1986.

In 1974, Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker started The PTL Club (Praise The Lord). This was a Christian news program that they first hosted in an old furniture store in Charlotte. The show mixed fun entertainment with family values. It also taught a "prosperity gospel," which suggested that God blessed people with wealth.

The PTL Club quickly grew into its own TV network. Within a year, it became a big business, earning $120 million each year in the 1970s. In 1978, Tammy Faye and Jim used PTL funds to build Heritage USA. This was a Christian retreat and theme park. At the time, it was one of the most popular theme parks in the United States, like Disney World and Disneyland.

On the show, Tammy Faye often added an emotional touch to stories. She also sang many Christian songs. She was known for talking openly about subjects that other evangelists often avoided.

During the AIDS epidemic in the mid-1980s, Tammy Faye interviewed Steven Pieters. He was a gay Christian minister living with AIDS. This happened on "Tammy's House Party," a part of The PTL Club. They talked about his life, his AIDS diagnosis, and the death of his partner.

During the show, Tammy Faye spoke emotionally to her viewers. She said: "How sad that we as Christians... are afraid so badly of an AIDS patient that we will not go up and put our arm around them and tell them that we care." Throughout the AIDS epidemic, Tammy Faye encouraged viewers to show kindness and pray for those who were sick.

Later Life and Illness (1988–2007)

In 1992, Tammy Faye divorced Jim Bakker. On October 3, 1993, she married property developer Roe Messner. Roe had built many parts of Heritage USA.

In 1996, Tammy Faye published her book, Tammy: Telling It My Way. She also co-hosted a TV talk show called The Jim J. and Tammy Faye Show with Jim J. Bullock.

As her first husband was in jail and she was diagnosed with colon cancer, Tammy Faye returned to the public eye. She appeared in books, movies, and TV shows.

She appeared twice on The Drew Carey Show in 1996 and 1999. She played the mother of a character known for wearing a lot of makeup. In 2003, Tammy Faye published another book, I Will Survive... and You Will, Too!. In this book, she shared her experiences with cancer and her life with Roe Messner.

She was the subject of a documentary film called The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2000). A follow-up film, Tammy Faye: Death Defying, came out in 2004.

Even though she came from a Christian background, Tammy Faye became a popular figure in the gay community. She appeared in Gay Pride marches. Unlike many American Christian leaders, she had always refused to speak against homosexuals. She also showed compassion and urged support for Americans with HIV/AIDS. In the 1980s, she interviewed an AIDS patient on her show. She made a strong plea for Christians to love and accept gay people. She was sometimes called "the ultimate drag queen." In her last interview with Larry King, she said that when she lost everything, "it was the gay people that came to my rescue, and I will always love them for that."

In early 2004, she appeared on the TV reality show The Surreal Life. The show followed her and five other celebrities living together for twelve days. They did various tasks, like putting on a children's play. Tammy Faye also attended a book signing for her book, I Will Survive... And You Will Too.

In July 2007, Tammy Faye and Roe moved to Loch Lloyd, Missouri. She told Entertainment Tonight that they moved to be closer to Roe's children and grandchildren.

Death

Tammy Faye's 11-year battle with cancer was often shared publicly. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in March 1996. The disease went away by the end of that year.

In March 2004, Tammy Faye appeared on Larry King Live. She announced that she had lung cancer that could not be operated on. She started chemotherapy treatments. In November 2004, she announced on Larry King Live that she was cancer-free again. She continued to appear on King's show.

In July 2005, she announced on King's program that her cancer had returned. In March 2006, she appeared on Larry King Live again. She said her lung cancer had reached stage 4. She was still getting treatment. She also mentioned having trouble swallowing and losing a lot of weight.

In May 2007, she posted a message on her website. She said that chemotherapy had stopped and asked her fans to pray for her.

On July 18, 2007, Tammy Faye made her final appearance on Larry King Live. At that time, she weighed 65 pounds (29.5 kg) and could not eat solid food. Her husband later said he believed she did the interview to say a final goodbye to her fans.

On July 20, 2007, Tammy Faye Messner passed away at her home in Loch Lloyd, Missouri. She was 65 years old. A family service was held the next day in Waldron, Kansas. Her ashes were buried there.

Legacy

Tammy Faye's life has inspired several stage musicals and movies.

In June 2006, a stage musical called The Gospel According to Tammy Faye opened. Another musical about her life, Big Tent, started in May 2007 in New York City.

A play about her final hours, Tammy Faye's Final Audition, premiered in June 2015. It shows her in a dream, trying out for one last TV talk show.

Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker also appear as characters in the musical Born for This. This musical is about the life of BeBe Winans. Tammy Faye and Jim gave BeBe and his sister CeCe their first big chance as singers on The PTL Club.

Broadway actress Kristin Chenoweth is also planning a musical based on Tammy Faye's life.

In the 2021 movie The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Jessica Chastain plays Tammy Faye. Andrew Garfield plays her husband Jim. Jessica Chastain won several awards for her performance, including an Academy Award for Best Actress.

A new musical titled Tammy Faye, with music by Elton John, opened in London in October 2022.

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See also

In Spanish: Tammy Faye para niños