Country music icon and Grand Ole Opry star Jeannie Seely died Aug. 1 in Hermitage, Tenn., at age 85 due to complications from an intestinal infection.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Country music trailblazer and Grand Ole Opry stalwart Jeannie Seely passed away on Friday, Aug. 1, at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee. She was 85, and her death followed complications from an intestinal infection.
Seely, known for hits like “Can I Sleep in Your Arms” and the Grammy-winning “Don’t Touch Me,” was also a fierce advocate for women artists. She had been dealing with health issues since last fall, undergoing multiple back surgeries in the spring and two emergency abdominal surgeries.
Born in Titusville, Pennsylvania, on July 6, 1940, Seely’s musical journey began early. By age 11, she was singing on a local radio show. By 16, she was performing on television in Erie, Pennsylvania. After moving to California at 21, she secured positions at Liberty and Imperial Records. Her songwriting talents led her to Four Star Music, and she became a regular on the TV series Hollywood Jamboree alongside Glen Campbell. She also earned a recording contract with Challenge Records.
In 1964, she was recognized as the most promising female artist by the Country and Western Academy. Her move to Nashville marked a significant chapter, leading to a deal with Monument Records and the release of her signature song, “Don’t Touch Me,” in 1966.
Seely became a member of the Grand Ole Opry on September 16, 1967. She was the first woman to regularly host segments of the Opry and the first to wear a miniskirt onstage. She last performed at the Opry on February 22 and amassed an astonishing 5,397 appearances, more than any other artist in the show’s 100-year history. Her 5,000th appearance was celebrated in 2022.
Her duets with Jack Greene, including “Wish I Didn’t Have to Miss You,” were chart-toppers, reaching No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart in 1970. The pair also released songs like “Much Oblige.”
Seely’s prolific songwriting meant her songs were recorded by a wide range of artists, including Dottie West, Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Connie Smith, Willie Nelson, Ernest Tubb, Irma Thomas, Rhonda Vincent, Chris LeDoux, and Moe Bandy.
Beyond music, Seely graced the stage in productions like Always, Patsy Cline and The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. She also appeared in Nelson’s film Honeysuckle Rose, contributing vocals to its soundtrack.
Her creative drive remained strong. In 2020, she released the collaborative album An American Classic. In 2024, she put out the single “Suffertime.” In March 2025, Sony Music Publishing Nashville honored her by releasing reimagined versions of her songs with contemporary female country artists. Seely also produced for bluegrass groups like Cutter & Cash and The Kentucky Grass.
Seely hosted the weekly radio show Sundays With Seely on SiriusXM’s Willie’s Roadhouse channel, with her last episode airing July 27.
Her career achievements garnered significant recognition. She was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame in 2018 and received the first standing ovation award at the Influencing Women Awards Gala in 2019. That same year, Lincoln Memorial University awarded her an honorary Doctor of Arts. The CMA honored her with the Joe Talbot Award in 2023. In 2024, SOURCE presented her with the Jo Walker-Meador Lifetime Achievement Award, and in April 2025, SAG-AFTRA’s Studio Space on Music Row was named in her honor.
Seely is survived by her cat, Corrie, and numerous friends and family members. She was preceded in death by her husband Eugene Ward, who passed away last year, as well as her parents, Leo and Irene Seely, and her siblings Donald Seely, Bernard Seely, and Mary Lou Seely Lang. A memorial service will be announced.
The Grand Ole Opry has announced that Saturday’s show will be dedicated to Seely.
“Jeannie Seely was one-of-a-kind across the board: as an entertainer, friend, and human being,” said Dan Rogers, Sr. Vice President and Executive Producer of the Grand Ole Opry, in a statement. “It was an absolute honor for all of us at the Grand Ole Opry that she called this show home and that she thought of us as family. She gave it her all with every single Opry performance. All 5,397 of them. She is loved so much and will never be forgotten.”
Sarah Trahern, CEO of the Country Music Association, shared her personal grief: “While I’ve had the privilege of working with Jeannie Seely over the past 25 years, my immediate grief is deeply personal. Early in my tenure at CMA, I shared unforgettable lunches with Jeannie and Jo Walker Meador, full of stories that were occasionally irreverent but always fascinating.”
Trahern added, “Jeannie was at the very first Fan Fair with Jack Greene and remained a beloved fixture for decades. She once told me a hilarious story about switching credentials with Dottie West just to keep people on their toes. When the CMA Board honored her with the Joe Talbot Award in 2023, it was for more than her music and fan relationships — it was for her spark. She mentored countless artists, especially women, and while they learned from her confidence and wit, she reminded us she was learning from them too. That humility was part of her magic.”
