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Jeannie Seely, renowned for her heartfelt country music, has passed away at the age of 85.
Seely died on Friday at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee due to complications from an intestinal infection, as confirmed by her publicist.
Fellow country music stars, including Dolly Parton, paid tribute to Seely, affectionately known as “Miss Country Soul.”
Jeannie Seely performs onstage at The Grand Ole Opry on June 9, 2017. (Jason Davis/Getty Images)
“She was one of my dearest friends,” expressed Parton on her social media accounts. “I believe she was one of the greatest singers in Nashville with a wonderful sense of humor. We shared many laughs and tears together, and she will be dearly missed.”
Seely, born on July 6, 1940, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, began her musical journey at the age of 11 on local radio.
She later moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s to hone her songwriting skills at Imperial and Liberty Records.
Jeannie Seely was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1967. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
In 1965, Seely made the move to Nashville, where she appeared on the Porter Wagoner Show and signed with Monument Records shortly after.
Seely was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in September 1967, becoming one of the first women to host Opry segments regularly. She captivated audiences with 5,397 performances during her Opry career, the most by any artist in the show’s history. Her final appearance was on February 22, 2025.
Seely’s illustrious career spanned over six decades, reaching a peak with her 1966 hit single, “Don’t Touch Me,” which reached number 2 on the Billboard country chart.
Jeannie Seely performs at the 2018 Medallion Ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 21, 2018. (Al Wagner/Invision/AP)
“Don’t Touch Me,” written by Hank Cochran, earned Seely her first and only Grammy Award for best country and western vocal performance in the female category.
Cochran and Seely tied the knot in 1969 and later divorced in 1979.
Among her other popular songs are “Can I Sleep in Your Arms?” and “I’ll Love You More (Than You Need).”
Jeannie Seely arrives at the 56th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville on Nov. 9, 2022. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Aside from her performances, Seely was a gifted songwriter, with her work recorded by country legends like Willie Nelson and Dottie West.
Her second husband, Gene Ward, passed away in December. In May, Seely shared her recovery journey after undergoing multiple back surgeries, emergency procedures, and battling pneumonia.
“Rehab is quite challenging, but each day brings more hope, and last night, I saw a neon light at the end of the tunnel, signifying it was mine!” she said in a statement. “The indomitable Seely is making her way back.”
Seely’s latest project, released in July 2024, was a cover of Dottie West’s “Suffer Time,” recorded at the iconic RCA Studio B. She performed the song at the Opry the year prior.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
