Overview
- Seely died on August 1 in Hermitage, Tennessee, at age 85 after complications from an intestinal infection.
- Her 1966 breakthrough single “Don’t Touch Me” reached No. 2 on Billboard’s country chart and won her the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
- In 1967 she became the first woman to host segments of the Grand Ole Opry on a regular basis, ultimately appearing on its stage more than 5,000 times.
- She penned hits for fellow artists—most notably Faron Young’s “Leavin’ and Sayin’ Goodbye”—and recorded duets with Jack Greene amid a catalog of over two dozen charting singles.
- Seely remained active into her eighties as host of SiriusXM’s “Sundays With Seely” and made her final Opry appearance in February 2025.