'Don't Touch Me' singer Jeannie Seely dies at 85

Los Angeles [US], August 2 : Grammy-winning country singer and longtime Grand Ole Opry member Jeannie Seely has died at the age of 85.

The singer passed away on Friday in Nashville due to complications from an intestinal infection, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

Seely was best known for her 1966 hit "Don't Touch Me" written by Hank Cochran. The song brought her a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and marked the start of her successful music career. She later received two more Grammy nominations.

In 1967, Seely became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. She was the first woman to regularly host and emcee segments on the Opry stage. She performed there more than 5,000 times, and also became one of the most frequent performers in its history.

Born on July 6, 1940, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, Seely showed an interest in music from a young age and appeared on local radio and TV. After working briefly in banking, she turned to music and moved to Nashville after signing with Challenge Records.

According to THR, her debut single with Monument Records, "Don't Touch Me" reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and No. 85 on the Hot 100. Over the years, she had more than 25 singles on the country charts, including "Can I Sleep in Your Arms" and "Lucky Ladies".

Seely also wrote songs for other artists, including Faron Young's "Leavin' and Sayin' Goodbye." She often performed with Jack Greene in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with their duet "Wish I Didn't Have to Miss You" reaching No. 2 on the country chart.

She released 17 studio albums, with her final album "An American Classic" coming out in 2020. The album featured collaborations with Willie Nelson, Ray Stevens, and Lorrie Morgan. In 2018, she launched her own SiriusXM show "Sundays With Seely." Her last performance at the Grand Ole Opry was in February 2024.

According to the publication, singer Tim Atwood, in a statement, paid tribute to Seely and said, "It doesn't seem possible to know a world without Seely in it. And as good as the Opry show is, the Opry spotlight will never shine as brightly without Jeannie in the center circle."

Dolly Parton, a longtime friend, took to her Instagram account and wrote, "I have known Jeanie Seely since we were early on in Nashville. She was one of my dearest friends. I think she was one of the greatest 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's husband, Gene Ward, died in December 2023 after a battle with cancer.

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