Jeannie Seely

Marilyn Jeanne Seely (born July 6, 1940) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She also has several acting credits and published a book. Seely found success with the Grammy Award-winning hit "Don't Touch Me" (1966). The song reached the No.2 position on the Billboard country songs chart and is her highest-charting single as a solo artist. Her soul-inspired vocal delivery was praised by music professionals, who gave her the nickname of "Miss Country Soul". Seely is also known for her membership and presence on the Grand Ole Opry, having appeared more times on the program than any other performer (over 5,000 appearances in her 55-year and ongoing tenure).Seely was born and raised in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Developing an early interest in country music, she performed regularly on local radio and television stations. Following high school graduation, she worked at a local bank before moving to southern California. It was on the west coast where she rediscovered country music. Originally a secretary at Imperial Records, she soon was writing songs for the company as well. Many of these songs would be recorded by other artists. In 1965, she signed her own recording contract with Challenge Records. Seely then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a recording career. In Nashville, Seely's "Don't Touch Me" was released on Monument Records and was a major hit single. She followed it with several more hits, including "A Wanderin' Man" (1967) and "I'll Love You More (Than You'll Need)" (1968).

Seely started collaborating with Jack Greene in the late 1960s. The pair toured and had recordings together for several years. Their biggest single would be 1970's "Wish I Didn't Have to Miss You". Seely had solo success during this same time with "Can I Sleep in Your Arms" (1973) and "Lucky Ladies" (1974). In 1977, Seely's career went on hiatus after sustaining severe injuries in an automobile accident. With the support of others, she resumed her career. Seely took a more diverse career approach in the years following her accident. She appeared in the Willie Nelson film Honeysuckle Rose, acted in several stage plays and performed in concert regularly. During this period, Seely also became the first female artist to host the Grand Ole Opry. In addition, she released her first and only book to date, Pieces of a Puzzled Mind.

In the 1990s, Seely returned to recording albums. This was launched with a 1990 eponymous release, followed by her first album of holiday music in 1994 called Number One Christmas. In 1999, she released the studio album Been There...Sung That!, which included duets with several artists. In 2003, Seely issued Life's Highway, a studio album that fused bluegrass with traditional country music. Her most recent studio release was 2020's An American Classic, issued on Curb Records. Seely has since been a consistent performer on the Grand Ole Opry and was the first woman to host the show. She has also been a regular host of a weekly radio program on Sirius XM.