Jim Bakker, the televangelist who inspired Ozzy Osbourne’s book The miracle man Genesis Jesus, he knows me and Iron Maiden Holy Smoke, died at the age of 86. The news was confirmed in a social media post by Bakker’s wife, Lori.
“It is with a broken heart that I share that my beloved husband, Jim Bakker, has gone home to be with the Lord this evening,” she wrote. “For 66 years, Jim dedicated his life to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was a pioneer in Christian television, but to me he was my husband, my best friend and the man I had the honor to walk with through so many seasons of life and ministry.”
Bakker rose to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s alongside his first wife, Tammy Faye, as host of The PTL Club, a late-night Christian televangelist talk show (“PTL” was short for “Praise The Lord”) broadcast from the couple’s 2,500-acre theme park in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
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The show attracted millions of viewers and millions of dollars in contributions, but it all fell apart in the late 1980s when Bakker was accused of sexual misconduct by church secretary Jessica Hahn and imprisoned after being convicted of mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison. On appeal, the sentence was reduced to eight years and Bakker was released in 1994.
Bakker’s antics – alongside those of fellow televangelists Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggart and Ernest Angley – inspired Genesis’ 1992 single. Jesus, he knows me, a song whose lyrics directly addressed the hypocrisy of televangelists.
I believe in family
With my ever loving wife by my side
But she don’t know about my girlfriend
Or the man I met last night
Do you believe in God?
Because that’s what I’m selling
And if you want to go to heaven
Well I’ll see you around
Ghost covered later Jesus, he knows me on their 2023 EP Ghostwhile other songs addressing the behavior of televangelists include that of Ozzy Osbourne The miracle man, Iron Maiden Holy SmokePoison Something to believe in, Frank Zappa Jesus thinks you’re a foolThe mermaids Satellite and Black Sabbath Television Crimes.
In 1987, Tammy Faye Bakker – who had already recorded several albums of Christian pop music – released The ballad of Jim and Tammy, a song that addressed the collapse of their ministry and criticized Swaggart and Falwell for picking on them. Tammy Faye died in 2007.
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