Grammy-winning country music icon and Grand Ole Opry legend Jeannie Seely has passed away. She was 85.
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The artist’s representative announced in a press release that Seely died on Friday at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee. The cause was complications from an intestinal infection following two emergency abdominal surgeries and other health issues earlier this year.
The Grand Ole Opry paid tribute to the “Don’t Touch Me” singer on Instagram.
“It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to a true icon to us here at the Opry, Mrs. Jeannie Seely,” the world’s longest-running radio show and country music’s biggest stage began in its caption, alongside several photos of Seely performing there over the years.
“She first appeared at the Opry in 1966 and while it was her first time being shoulder to shoulder with some of her heroes, she officially joined our family the next year in 1967 and has stood on that stage ever since with a special grace, sass, style, and of course – her wit and humor to top it all off,” the Opry wrote in part.
“Having performed at the Grand Ole Opry more than any other artist in history, 5,397 times to be exact, there’s no doubt this place was home to her,” the Opry added, noting how she mentored other rising female artists over the decades.
“Your legacy will always live on here at the Opry House, Miss Country Soul. We will miss you dearly,” the Opry concluded.
Jeannie Seely was the First Woman to Regularly Host Grand Ole Opry Segments
Seely, born July 6, 1940, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, rose to fame with her 1966 Grammy-winning country hit, “Don’t Touch Me,” written by Hank Cochran. She made history as the first woman to regularly host Grand Ole Opry segments, becoming a member in 1967. She also turned heads—and made headlines—by daring to rock a mini-skirt on the Opry stage.
Seely had over 20 singles on the Billboard country charts, including “Can I Sleep in Your Arms” and “Lucky Ladies.” In the ’60s and ’70s, she performed duets like “Wish I Didn’t Have to Miss You” with Jack Greene.
Seely made an on-screen appearance as herself in the 1980 romantic western drama Honeysuckle Rose, directed by Jerry Schatzberg. She also starred alongside Faye Dunaway, Tom Skerritt, and Ian Somerhalder in the 2002 film Changing Hearts.
She also performed in the musicals The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1988), Always, Patsy Cline (2001), and a 2005 Nashville production of The Vagina Monologues.
In her later years, Seely stayed deeply involved in country music, debuting her “Sundays with Seely” segment on Willie Nelson’s SiriusXM radio channel, Willie’s Roadhouse, in 2018.
Seeley is survived by her beloved cat Corrie, as well as many close friends and family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gene Ward; her parents, Leo and Irene Seely; and her siblings, Donald, Bernard, and Mary Lou.