Grand Ole Opry legend, country music icon Jeannie Seely dies at 85

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Jeannie Seely, Grand Ole Opry icon and trailblazing country music star, passed away Friday at age 85.

Known as “Miss Country Soul,” Seely had battled health issues since last fall, including multiple surgeries and the recent loss of her husband, Gene Ward, in December.

Seely passed peacefully at 5 p.m. at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee, following complications of an intestinal infection.

A beloved Opry fixture, Seely made a record 5,397 performances, the most in the institution’s 100-year history.

She was the oldest actively working female artist in country music at the time of her death and had just aired her final “Sundays with Seely” show on SiriusXM’s Willie's Roadhouse on July 27.

Born July 6, 1940, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, Seely began performing at age 11. Her Grammy-winning hit “Don’t Touch Me” launched a career that helped reshape the role of women in country music. In 1967, she became the first Pennsylvania native to join the Grand Ole Opry as well as the first woman to regularly host segments.

Seely’s songs were recorded by legends like Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. Her legacy includes honors from the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Music City Walk of Fame, and the CMA. The Jeannie Seely Interchange outside the Opry House stands as a tribute to her impact on Nashville.

She is survived by loved ones and her cherished cat, Corrie.

A memorial service will be announced soon. The Grand Ole Opry will dedicate Saturday night’s show in her honor.

Get reports like this and all the news of the day in Middle Tennessee delivered to your inbox each morning with the FOX 17 News Daily Newsletter.