NASHVILLE, TN (CelebrityAccess) — Country music legend and the doyenne of the Grand Ole Opry Jeannie Seely died on August 1st. She was 85.
According to a statement from her publicist, Sealy died at a medical facility in Hermitage, Tennessee, as a result of complications from an intestinal infection. She had faced health challenges since last fall, which intensified after the December passing of her husband, Gene Ward.
A Pennsylvania native, Seely began performing on radio at age 11 and television by 16. After working in banking, she moved to Los Angeles in her early 20s, working at Liberty and Imperial Records while writing songs and performing. She signed her first recording contract in the 1960s and soon emerged as one of country music’s brightest new voices.
Her breakthrough came with the Grammy-winning hit “Don’t Touch Me,” leading to a string of chart successes. In 1967, she became the first Pennsylvania native inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and the first female to regularly host the show’s segments. Seely also broke tradition as the first to wear a mini-skirt on the Opry stage, helping change the image of female country performers.
Over her seven-decade career, Seely logged a record 5,397 Opry performances, hosted “Sundays with Seely” on SiriusXM, and wrote songs recorded by Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Ray Price, and many others. She appeared on stage, screen, and in musical theater, and was honored with awards including the CMA’s Joe Talbot Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from SOURCE.
Seely’s honors also included induction into the Music City Walk of Fame, an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Lincoln Memorial University, and the naming of the “Jeannie Seely Interchange” near the Opry House. She released her final single, “Suffertime,” in 2024—marking 60 years between recording sessions at historic RCA Studio B.
Until recently, Seely remained active as a producer for the bluegrass group Cutter & Cash and The Kentucky Grass. Her last public appearance was in March 2025 at the opening of the Legends of Country Music Museum, where she is featured in a permanent exhibit.
Seely is survived by friends, extended family, and her cat, Corrie. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and siblings. A memorial service will be announced in the coming days, and tomorrow night’s Grand Ole Opry will be dedicated in her honor.
