Country music legend known as ‘Miss Country Soul’ dies at 85
Country music star Jeannie Seely has died at the age of 85.
The country legend, dubbed "Miss Country Soul," died Friday, Aug. 1, at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee, as a result of complications from an intestinal infection, according to People .
Seely had been battling health issues in 2025. She revealed in May that she was recovering from "multiple" back surgeries and two emergency abdominal surgeries.
The artist also spent nearly two weeks in the ICU and battled pneumonia on top of it.
Seely began performing on local radio at age 11. After high school, she worked as a stenographer until she moved to California in 1961, People reported. She worked at a bank, but feeling called to music, she got a job as a secretary at Imperial Records.
Seely has since been a staple in country music since the 1960s. She is best known for her Grammy-winning 1966 hit "Don't Touch Me."
Her other most successful songs include "A Wanderin' Man," "I'll Love You More (Than You'll Need)," "Can I Sleep in Your Arms" and "Lucky Ladies." Seely also famously collaborated with Jack Greene in the late 1960s, producing the hit single "Wish I Didn't Have to Miss You."
Seely was the first woman to host the Grand Ole Opry and she's appeared on the program more times than any other performer over nearly 60 years.
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