Country music icon Jeannie Seely passed away on Friday, August 1, 2025, at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee, at the age of 85 due to complications from an intestinal infection, as reported by her publicist, Don Murry Grubbs. Seely, known as “Miss Country Soul” for her unique vocal style, was a pioneer for women in country music and a longstanding presence at the Grand Ole Opry.
She was born on July 6, 1940, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, approximately two hours north of Pittsburgh, and grew up in the nearby town of Townville. Her early exposure to country music was influenced by her mother, who sang, and her father, who played the banjo. As a child, Seely appeared on local radio and television programs.
In her early twenties, Seely moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue her career, working at Liberty and Imperial Records in Hollywood while continuing to write and record music. She later moved to Nashville, where she performed on Porter Wagoner’s show and signed with Monument Records.
Seely’s major breakthrough came with “Don’t Touch Me,” a crossover ballad written by Hank Cochran. Released in 1966, the single reached number two on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and earned her a Grammy Award for best female country vocal performance at the ninth awards ceremony. The song also appeared on the Hot 100 at number 85, highlighting her crossover success.
She married Hank Cochran in 1969, though the couple divorced in 1979. Her second husband, Gene Ward, passed away in December 2024 from cancer.
In September 1967, Seely became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, making history as the first woman to regularly host segments of the renowned show.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Seely established herself as a groundbreaking artist during a time when country music had conservative expectations for female performers. She was known for her defiant spirit, including wearing a miniskirt on the Grand Ole Opry stage when it was still considered controversial.
Her series of hits included three Top 10 singles on Billboard’s country chart: “Don’t Touch Me,” 1967’s “I’ll Love You More (Than You Need),” and 1973’s “Can I Sleep In Your Arms?,” adapted from the folk song “Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister?” The latter song was later recorded by Willie Nelson.
Seely also achieved success as a songwriter, composing hits for other artists, including “Leavin’ and Sayin’ Goodbye” for Faron Young. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she collaborated with Jack Greene, touring together and performing duets such as “Wish I Didn’t Have to Miss You,” which reached number two on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart.
Her songs became country standards, recorded by numerous artists including Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Connie Smith, Ernest Tubb, Grandpa Jones, and Little Jimmy Dickens. Over her career, she released 17 studio albums, with her most recent being 2020’s “An American Classic,” featuring duets with Nelson, Ray Stevens, and Lorrie Morgan.
Seely continued her involvement in country music throughout her life. Since 2018, she hosted the weekly “Sundays with Seely” on Willie Nelson’s Willie’s Roadhouse SiriusXM channel. That same year, she was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame. She appeared 5,397 times at the Grand Ole Opry, more than any other artist in the show’s 100-year history.
In May, Seely was hospitalized after undergoing multiple back surgeries, two emergency procedures, and spending 11 days in the ICU, also suffering from pneumonia. At the time, she expressed optimism about her recovery, saying the unsinkable Seely was working her way back.
Her final Grand Ole Opry appearance was February 22, 2025. She released her latest song in July 2024, a cover of Dottie West’s “Suffertime,” recorded at the world-renowned RCA Studio B, which she had performed at the Opry the year before.
Following the news of her death, fellow country stars paid tribute to Seely. Dolly Parton described her as one of her dearest friends and one of the greatest singers in Nashville, noting they shared many wonderful laughs and tears together. Grand Ole Opry member Bill Anderson, who performed with Seely for over six decades, called her one of the most talented, kind, witty, generous, and loving people he had ever known.
Saturday’s Grand Ole Opry show was dedicated to Seely’s memory, with Dan Rogers, the Opry’s senior vice president and executive producer, noting that her record of 5,397 performances would never be broken. Artists throughout the evening paid tribute from the stage, celebrating both her musical legacy and her quick wit and sense of humor.
A memorial service will be announced in the coming days. Rogers emphasized that Seely didn’t just blaze a trail for women in country music but walked back and forth on it, keeping it clear and guiding generations to follow. Grammy-winning Seely’s impact on the Opry and country music will be felt for generations to come.
