Joni Lamb
American television evangelist (1960–2026)
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Joni Lamb (née Trammell; died May 7, 2026) was an American Christian broadcaster and the co-founder, president, and executive producer of the Daystar Television Network. She was involved with Christian television, starting in the mid-1980s and was known for her work with her husband, Marcus Lamb, with Daystar.
Joni Lamb | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joni Trammell |
| Died | (aged 65) Bedford, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Church | Christianity (Pentecostal) |
Congregations served | Co-founder of Daystar Network |
Offices held | President of Daystar Network |
Early life
Joni Trammell was born in Greenville, South Carolina.[1][2] Her family were members of the Tremont Avenue Church of God, where Marcus Lamb ministered as a visiting preacher during a revival. The couple met each other at her home church and were married two years later, in 1982. They traveled for the next few years, visiting churches as evangelists.[3]
Career
In 1984, Joni and Marcus Lamb settled in Montgomery, Alabama where they purchased a full power television station and began teaching the Bible on broadcast television. This continued until 1990, when the couple moved to Dallas and formed another station in the larger Texas market. By 1998, they had raised the funds necessary to start Daystar.[3][4]
Joni Table Talk
Lamb hosted her self-titled half-hour program Joni Table Talk (initially titled Joni) each weekday on Daystar. The format of the show was typically a round table discussion with other ministers, singers and celebrities discussing a wide range of topics that combine contemporary cultural issues and the Christian faith. In 2004, the show was awarded as the Best Television Talk Show by the National Religious Broadcasters.[5][6]
Ministry Now!
Lamb co-hosted the Daystar flagship program Ministry Now! (previously called, Marcus and Joni and initially titled Celebration). The hour-long program was broadcast five days a week on their Daystar network. Joni's children shared host duties and discuss news related to the network, ministry, and issues of interest to the Christian faith with daily guest(s). Joni and her daughters would also perform with the Daystar Singers during the Daystar program.[7][6]
On-air comments
Lamb had generated controversy for some on-air comments she had made during her career. She once stated that "thousands" of people "have come out of homosexuality" and "may be the most discriminated people in the world today." She has claimed homosexuality is "ungodly" and that "God cannot bless you and you cannot fulfill your destiny while you are operating within the realm of homosexuality."[8]
In 2012, Lamb stated, "“if you live in America and you understand that we are a Christian society then you can't be offended by [people's right to free speech], or you shouldn’t live here.”[9]
Lamb commented on her television program about being against vaccinations and spoke out on what she believed was voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election.[10]
In 2024, Lamb's son Jonathan accused her of covering up a family member's alleged sexual assault of Jonathan's then-5-year-old daughter. Lamb fired Jonathan from Daystar Network just days before the allegations became public.[11]
Personal life and death
Joni and Marcus Lamb had three children: Jonathan Lamb, Rachel Lamb Brown, and Rebecca Lamb Weiss.[12][13][14] In 2010, Marcus admitted to having an extramarital affair.[15] In 2021, Marcus died from complications of COVID-19, aged 64.[16]
On June 10, 2023, Joni Lamb married Doug Weiss.[17] Weiss is a television co-host, author and psychologist.[18] At the time of her death, Lamb owned four houses in Texas, a home in Georgia and a beach condo in Miramar Beach, Florida.[1]
Lamb died on May 7, 2026 at her home in Bedford, Texas from complications of a back injury, at the age of 65.[13][14][12]