Religious Figure. She was the co-founder the Alamo Christian Foundation with her husband, Tony Alamo in 1969. As itinerant preachers, their church was a form of Protestant Pentecostalism. Born Edith Opal Horn, she converted from Judaism to Christianity. She left her home traveling to Hollywood in hope of becoming an actress. There she met Bernie Lazar Hoffman, divorcing her second husband. In 1966, the couple were married in a Las Vegas ceremony and legally changed their names to "Tony Alamo and Susan Alamo." Their organization quickly gained notoriety for its intense evangelistic methods and "in your face" approach to sin in the Hollywood culture at large. Coercing street people, they practiced the "come to the meeting and get a meal" approach. In 1976, the ministry moved its headquarters to Alma, Arkansas, her childhood home. It opened a school and a drug rehabilitation center. The Foundation gained notoriety for making high-priced, sequined denim jackets for Hollywood celebrities, while not complying with Federal Wage and Hour law. The couple managed a large country attire store in Nashville, Tennessee. Their church became a hefty financial empire. Their group became known for being an anti-Catholic and anti-LGBT hate group. For all these reasons, various cult awareness groups labeled the Alamo Christian Foundation as one of the premier cult groups of the 1970s. After her death, the church reorganized, changing the name to Music Square Church, and had serious problems with the IRS. In 2009 her husband was convicted of ten child-rape offenses, was ordered to pay $525 million in punitive damages, and was sentenced to prison where he died.
Religious Figure. She was the co-founder the Alamo Christian Foundation with her husband, Tony Alamo in 1969. As itinerant preachers, their church was a form of Protestant Pentecostalism. Born Edith Opal Horn, she converted from Judaism to Christianity. She left her home traveling to Hollywood in hope of becoming an actress. There she met Bernie Lazar Hoffman, divorcing her second husband. In 1966, the couple were married in a Las Vegas ceremony and legally changed their names to "Tony Alamo and Susan Alamo." Their organization quickly gained notoriety for its intense evangelistic methods and "in your face" approach to sin in the Hollywood culture at large. Coercing street people, they practiced the "come to the meeting and get a meal" approach. In 1976, the ministry moved its headquarters to Alma, Arkansas, her childhood home. It opened a school and a drug rehabilitation center. The Foundation gained notoriety for making high-priced, sequined denim jackets for Hollywood celebrities, while not complying with Federal Wage and Hour law. The couple managed a large country attire store in Nashville, Tennessee. Their church became a hefty financial empire. Their group became known for being an anti-Catholic and anti-LGBT hate group. For all these reasons, various cult awareness groups labeled the Alamo Christian Foundation as one of the premier cult groups of the 1970s. After her death, the church reorganized, changing the name to Music Square Church, and had serious problems with the IRS. In 2009 her husband was convicted of ten child-rape offenses, was ordered to pay $525 million in punitive damages, and was sentenced to prison where he died.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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