Jimmy Swaggart

Jimmy Lee Swaggart (1935–2025) was an American Pentecostal televangelist, pastor, and gospel music artist. He was born in Ferriday, Louisiana, and grew up in a musically active family that included his cousins Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley. Swaggart began his full-time evangelistic work in 1955 and started recording gospel music albums in 1960.

Over the course of his career, Swaggart released dozens of gospel albums, including Some Golden Daybreak (1958), Live from Nashville (1976), Homeward Bound (1980), Worship (1980), and Color Me a Story (1980). His recorded song catalog includes “Sometimes Alleluia” (1979), “Jesus, Just the Mention of Your Name” (1982), and “There Is a River” (1991). As a gospel artist, he sold more than fifteen million records worldwide. Swaggart also founded the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he served as senior pastor, as well as Jimmy Swaggart Ministries and the SonLife Broadcasting Network.

His musical work received notable recognition. Swaggart was voted Favorite Gospel Music Artist by Singing News in 1974 and was honored as Male Vocalist of the Year by Record World magazine in 1977. He received a Grammy nomination for Best Album for Live from Nashville (1976) and another Grammy nomination for Best Gospel Performance, Traditional for Worship (1981). He was also a Dove Award finalist in multiple categories, including Male Vocalist of the Year and Instrumentalist of the Year, in 1977, 1978, and 1980.

In 2025, Swaggart was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame as part of that year’s class, honoring the lasting reach of his gospel music career.