Country music singer Jeannie Seely dies aged 85
Her publicist, Don Murry Grubbs, said she died on Friday after succumbing to complications from an intestinal infection.
Known as Miss Country Soul for her unique vocal style, Seely was a trailblazer for women in country music, celebrated for her spirited nonconformity and for a string of undeniable hits in the 1960s and 1970s.
Her second husband, Gene Ward, died in December.
In May, Seely revealed that she was in recovery after undergoing multiple back surgeries, two emergency procedures and spending 11 days in the ICU. She also suffered a bout of pneumonia.
'Rehab is pretty tough, but each day is looking brighter and last night, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. And it was neon, so I knew it was mine,' she said in a statement at the time.
'The unsinkable Seely is working her way back.'
Dolly Parton was one of several country music luminaries paying her tribute on Friday, saying she met Seely when they were both young and starting out in Nashville.
'She was one of my dearest friends,' Parton said on her social media accounts.
'I think she was one of the greater singers in Nashville and she had a wonderful sense of humour. We had many wonderful laughs together, cried over certain things together and she will be missed.'
Seely was born in July 1940, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, about two hours north of Pittsburgh and raised in nearby Townville.
Her love of country music was instant; her mother sang, and her father played the banjo. When she was a child, she sang on local radio shows and performed on local television.
She had a number of country hits in the '60s and '70s, including three Top 10 hits on what is now known as Billboard's hot country songs 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?
In the years since, Seely continued to release albums, perform, and host, regularly appearing on country music programming. Her songs are considered classics, and have been recorded by everyone from Merle Haggard, Ray Price and Connie Smith to Ernest Tubb, Grandpa Jones, and Little Jimmy Dickens.
She appeared nearly 5,400 times at the Grand Ole Opry, which she had been a member of since 1967. Grubbs said Saturday's Grand Ole Opry show would be dedicated to Seely.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
10 hours ago
- Wales Online
Chappell Roan's latest track The Subway soars to number one on UK singles chart
Chappell Roan's latest track The Subway soars to number one on UK singles chart This is the second time the US pop singer, 27, has topped the UK chart after her sleeper hit, Pink Pony Club, reached the summit in March, around the same time she released her song, The Giver, which peaked at number two. She's kicked it on stage with Chappell Roan - the question is, who will Olivia be going live with this time round? (Image: (Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)) Chappell Roan's latest track, The Subway, has soared to number one on the UK singles chart, the Official Charts Company said. This is the second time the US pop singer, 27, has topped the UK chart after her sleeper hit, Pink Pony Club, reached the summit in March, around the same time she released her song, The Giver, which peaked at number two. Roan, whose real name is Kayleigh Amstutz, released her debut studio album, The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess, in September 2023, but it only entered the UK albums chart in April 2024 and became a number one hit in August of that year. Roan performed Pink Pony Club at the Grammy Awards in February, when she won the award for best new artist. She later scooped two Brit awards for international artist of the year and international song of the year for Good Luck, Babe! The performer's stage name pays homage to her late grandfather, Dennis K Chappell, and merges his last name with a word from his favourite song, Strawberry Roan. Roan is known for her eccentric, drag-inspired costumes and stage persona, from dressing up as the Statue of Liberty or a glittering ringmaster to a prom queen sporting a towering wig, paste white makeup and lipstick stained teeth. She has been performing at festivals throughout the summer and will be headlining Reading and Leeds festivals during the Bank Holiday weekend this August. Last week's number one single, Golden, from the animated film KPop Demon Hunters, has now moved to number two on the UK singles chart, with Daisies, by Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, in at number three. Rounding out the top five is Dior by MK featuring Chrystal, and No Broke Boys by US DJ Disco Lines and singer Tinashe in fourth and fifth respectively. Over in the albums chart, US pop star and actress, Renee Rapp, has secured her first ever UK number one with her second album, Bite Me. Amid their reunion tour, Oasis' albums have re-entered the chart with compilation record Time Flies... 1994-2009 at number two and (What's The Story) Morning Glory? spending another week at number three. Article continues below Ordinary singer Alex Warren is in at number four with his album, You'll Be Alright Kid (Chapter One), with Fleetwood Mac's compilation album, 50 Years- Don't Stop, at number five.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Sad details of country legend's funeral revealed after Dolly Parton dubbed star as her 'dearest friend'
Fans of country music icon Jeannie Seely will have the chance to say their final goodbyes in the most fitting way possible. Jeannie, who died on August 1 at the age of 85, will be honored with a public memorial service on August 14 at 11am (EST) at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee. The emotional tribute will serve as what would have been her 5,398th Opry performance. She held the record for the most Opry appearances in history with her final goodbye acting as a nod to her remarkable legacy with 5,397 appearances on the historic stage over the course of her career. Even fans who are unable to attend in person will be able to watch the service online with a broadcast on WSM 650 AM and live stream via Vimeo. The beloved performer, whose first performance at the Opry was in 1966, was inducted the following year and remained one of its most active members for nearly six decades. In the wake of her passing, country star Dolly Parton took to Instagram to pay tribute to her longtime friend and fellow legend. 'I have known Jeannie Seely since we were early on in Nashville. She was one of my dearest friends,' Dolly wrote. 'I think she was one of the greater singers in Nashville and she had a wonderful sense of humor. 'We had many wonderful laughs together, cried over certain things together and she will be missed.' In lieu of flowers, Jeannie's family has asked for donations to be made to the Opry Trust Fund. It supports those in the music industry during times of need or to a pet-related charitable organization, reflecting Jeannie's well-known love of animals. Jeannie died at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee, from complications brought on by an intestinal infection, according to People. Her death follows the loss of her husband Eugene Ward to cancer in December. Jeannie had been plagued by health problems since last year, and she announced in May that she had undergone multiple surgeries on her back to repair her vertebrae. The performer also said she had two emergency abdominal surgeries and developed pneumonia during an 11-day stay in the intensive care unit. Jeannie was known for her distinctive soul-inflected vocal delivery, which earned her the nickname 'Miss Country Soul.' Her 1966 single Don't Touch Me became a hit on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart after ascending to number two, and she followed it up with more hits, including A Wanderin' Man (1967) and I'll Love You More (Than You'll Need) (1968). All three songs were written by Jeannie's future husband, Hank Cochran, whom she wed in 1969. The couple separated later in the 1970s, and their divorce was finalized in 1979. Cochran died in 2010 at age 84 from cancer. In 2010, Jeannie married her second husband, the Nashville-based attorney Eugene. He was plagued by health problems not long after the nuptials, and he died on December 13 after being diagnosed with cancer.
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Wales Online
Dolly Parton named Guinness World Records icon
Dolly Parton named Guinness World Records icon As part of its 70th anniversary celebrations, the company – which lists world record achievements – has honoured the Jolene singer, 79, with an Icon certificate, presented to her at her studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Dolly Parton shared the recipe in her 2024 cookbook Good Lookin' Cookin (Image: Getty Images) US country star Dolly Parton has been named a Guinness World Records icon for holding 11 record-breaking titles. As part of its 70th anniversary celebrations, the company – which lists world record achievements – has honoured the Jolene singer, 79, with an Icon certificate, presented to her at her studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Her record titles include most consecutive decades with top 10 album entries on the Billboard country chart, most studio albums released by a female country singer, and most Grammy nominations for a female country artist. She was also the first country singer to be nominated for the Egot – an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony – aka the "Grand Slam of showbusiness". Craig Glenday, editor in chief at Guinness World Records, said: "Dolly is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated writers and performers in the history of country music, as reflected in her many Guinness World Records certificates, but her reach and influence extends far beyond the musical world. "There are so many projects close to her heart – poverty relief, education, medical research and of course the Imagination Library free-books campaign – and it's these important, life-changing initiatives that propels Dolly into a different league. She truly is a living legend, and it's an honour to bestow GWR Icon status upon her." Guinness World Records published its first book in London in 1955 and has sold more than 143 million copies in over 100 countries since then. The Icon certificate has previously been awarded to stars including Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Drake, Sir Paul McCartney, and Sir Elton John. Parton, who is from Tennessee, released her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly in 1967 and had a run of hits in the 1970s. Article continues below By the 1980s she was a huge star and made her movie debut in screwball comedy 9 To 5. Her most recent album was Rockstar, released in 2023, and she recently featured in a version of Sabrina Carpenter's Please Please Please. She is also the co-owner of the Dollywood Company, which operates Dollywood, a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
