Country Singer, Grand Ole Opry Staple was 85

Jeannie Seely has died at the age of 85.

The country star died on Friday, August 1 at the Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee, as a result of complications from an intestinal infection, her rope confirmed in a statement to humans. Seely, who lost her husband eugene ward to cancer In December last year, had have struggled with health problems During much of 2025. She had undergone “several back surgery this spring for back -vertebra repairs, as well as” two emergency boupees, “her rope said. At that time, Seely had said that she had also spent “11 days on intensive care and (suffered) a seizure with pneumonia.”

The Country singer first found success with his 1966 song “Don’t touch me.” Other songs included “A Wanderin ‘man”, “I will love you more (than you need)” and her duet from 1969 with Jack Greene wish I didn’t have to miss you. “Seel was also a dedicated member of Grand Ole Opry and appeared there over 5,300 times.

Seely was born in Titusville, PA 1940 and raised in nearby Townville. She was the youngest of four children. Her love affair with Grand Ole Opry began when her family was gathering around the radio to listen to their show on Saturday nights.

“I really knew at 8 years old what I wanted to be,” Seely told people in 2022 About her country singing dreams. “And I knew I wanted to be on Opry.” She was also inspired by the frequent singers who appeared on the program such as Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Ernest Tubb, Kitty Wells, Little Jimmy Dickens and Jean Shepard. “I just wanted to know them,” she said. “I wanted to be a part of the family I heard every week.”

Seely started performing on local radio at the age of 11. After high school, she worked as a stenographer until she, tired of snow, moved to California in 1961. She worked in a bank, but felt called for music, she got a job as secretary at Imperial Records.

Seely also started working as a songwriter. She wrote “Who knows what love is (will understand)” with Randy Newman, and it became a hit for R&B singer Irma Thomas. She also wrote songs for Connie Smith, Dottie West and Norma Jean. She signed her own recording contract with California’s challenge register and went to Nashville to record her first demonstrations. In 1965 she moved to Nashville, Center for Country Music, full time.

“When I arrived in town I had only $ 50 and a Ford Falcon to my name,” Seely told Erie Times-News 2015. ”But within one month, Portary car Hired me as the female singer for his roadshow and syndicated TV series. ”

Seely signed with Nashville’s monument record and released 1966’s “Don’t touch me.” It became a hit that reached # 2 on the US hot country songs. She received Grammy nominations for Best Country & Western Recording and Best Country & Western Vocal Performance – Woman and won the latter. She was also given the nickname “Miss Country Soul” because of her soulful song.

The song’s success also got her an invitation to perform at The Opry. She had never even participated in a show before. “I stood Axel against Axel in the wings with all my heroes,” she said in 2022 of her first performance. “I had never even seen them personally anywhere – even over the foot lights.”

In 1967 she was introduced as a member. “Opry is simply a way to live for me,” she said.

But she also helped modernize the stage show. At the time of its first performance, there was an unwritten dress code for women, who only carried Gingham and long ruffled skirts. She went to the stage in a mini skirt and met the punishment from Opry Manager Ott Devine after the show.

“I explained that I just moved here from California, and that’s what everyone is wearing,” she said in 2022. “I said,” You know the trend is coming, “and finally, just jokes, I said:” Okay, I will make you a deal. I will not carry anyone in the back door unless you let anyone get in the front door for them because it will happen. “And he was like,” Well, okay. But just try to hold it down. “” Other women soon abandoned their ruffles.

Seely also pressed that women could host the OPRY segments. In 1985 she became the first woman to do so – but only because the male values got stuck in a snowstorm. New management in 1993 finally changed the rule.

“I would go through and pick up the same point and always hear that it was tradition or whatever,” she said in 2022 about her driving force for equality. She claimed that a third of the talent pool were women, and they are “wasted”, plus, all women in the audience were ignored.

She knew that Opry was too important as a flagship of country music. “Somewhere it’s a little girl who listens who wants to be there as bad as I did.”

Seely also had top 20 country hits with 1966’s “It’s Only Love”, 1967’s “A Wanderin ‘Man” and 1968’s “I’LL Love You More (than you need).” In 1969 she released “Wish in Don’t Mound Miss” with Greene. It reached # 2 on country art and gave Seely its third Grammy nomination. They released several duet albums together, while Seely also continued to release solo recordings.

Seely married country songwriter Hank Cochran 1969; Her album from 1967 Thanks, Hank! Got the name after him because he had written all the songs. In 1977 she was in a car accident. Her injuries included a crackled jaw, broken ribs and a punctured lung. Her career began to suffer in the years after. She and Cochran divorced in 1981, and she and Greene ended their partnership next year.

She showed up with Willie Nelson on the soundtrack for the 1980s Honeysuckle And started touring with him. She also dabbed in actors and shows up in the musicals TAKIN ‘IT HOME and a Nashville recovery of The best little horhuset in Texas. She started recording and releasing music again in the 90s.

Seely was a four times the CMA Award-nominated, and in 2023 she received Honors Joe Talbot Award, who honors an outstanding leadership and contribution to preservation and progress of country music’s values and tradition. She released over 15 studio albums.

She married Nashville lawyer Gene Ward 2010.

Seely continued to show up on Opry throughout her life. In 2022, she celebrated 55 years as a member – and over 5,300 performances in the show, a record. Then she still showed up two to three times a week.

In 2024, Seely released a new song, “Suffertime” and worked with new music. “This is crazy,” she told people 2024 when the song was released. “It’s just phenomenal that I can still do this.”

“I just feel blessed every day,” she said of her long career. “I tell everyone that I’m not retired; I just stop working. They are two different things. I just do what I like. If it sounds like too much work, I just know we don’t want to.”

Seely is survived by a large family, friends and her special cat, Corrie. On August 2, Grand Ole Opry will be devoted to her.