Jimmy Swaggart and Jerry Lee Lewis lived completely different lives. One preached from the pulpit while the other played piano music. However, they shared a commonality beyond their fame.
They were related to each other, and both men came from the same small town in Louisiana. Their family connection also tied them to a third big name in American music and church work.
Jimmy Swaggart Related To Jerry Lee Lewis
Yes, Jimmy Swaggart is related to Jerry Lee Lewis. They’re cousins. Their mothers were sisters. Both boys grew up in Ferriday, Louisiana, and their family was known for two things: strong religious beliefs and musical talent.
Country music star Mickey Gilley was their cousin, too. It’s unusual for one small town to yield three famous musicians. The families were all connected through marriages and related by blood. People said they were wound together like a tight ball of rubber bands.
Jimmy and Jerry Lee both had religious childhoods. As they grew up, their lives took opposite directions. Jimmy became a preacher on TV and sang gospel music, whereas Jerry Lee got famous for playing wild piano and making rock and roll hits.
The cousins stayed in touch even though they lived very different lives.
When Jimmy had his scandals, Jerry Lee defended him. Both men have stated that their shared childhood and family heritage has had a lasting impact on their lives.
Jimmy Swaggart’s Career and Family Life
Jimmy Swaggart passed away at the age of 90 on July 1, 2025. He perished at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from a cardiac arrest.
He was renowned for his preaching and gospel music, and he built one of the largest ministries on television in the United States.
Jimmy was born in Ferriday and grew up in a poor Pentecostal family. Music and faith were always part of his life. In 1952, he married Frances Anderson, and they had one son named Donnie.
In the early days, the family had very little. They often stayed in church basements or inexpensive motels while Jimmy roamed to preach in small towns across Louisiana.
He had opportunities to become a professional musician, but he chose to pursue a career in preaching instead.
His sermons and songs were broadcast on television every week, reaching a large audience. Over his life, he sold more than 15 million gospel records.
In the late 1980s, he faced scandals that hurt his reputation in the Assemblies of God church. Even so, he continued his ministry independently for years afterward.
Jerry Lee Lewis’ Family Life
Jerry Lee Lewis was born September 29, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana. His family was broke, but they knew he had musical talent. His dad built houses and sold illegal liquor on the side. He borrowed money from their home to buy his son a piano.
Lewis began playing at the age of nine. He learned church songs and heard blues music around his town.
His married life was a mess. He married multiple women and had numerous children. In 1958, he married his cousin, Myra Gale Brown, who was only 13 years old at the time.
People were shocked, and it nearly destroyed his rock music career. Country music became his core after that.
Lewis put 30 songs in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country chart. “Would You Take Another Chance on Me” was one of them.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame took him in 1986, and the Country Music Hall of Fame waited until 2022 to add him.
Health troubles hit him hard, and family members died over time. He continued to make music until October 28, 2022, when he passed away at the age of 87 in DeSoto County, Mississippi.
