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Jeannie Seely

Marilyn Jeanne Seely (July 6, 1940 – August 1, 2025) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and author. Primarily identified with country music, Seely found success with the Grammy Award-winning song "Don't Touch Me" (1966). Her soul-inspired vocal delivery gave her the nickname of "Miss Country Soul". Seely was a member of and performer on the Grand Ole Opry, having appeared more times on the program than any other performer (5,397 appearances dating back to May 1966 and including 57 years as member of the Grand Ole Opry). She was credited with breaking the "Gingham Curtain," the Opry's conservative dress code for performers.

Born and raised in northwestern Pennsylvania, Seely had an early interest in country music, regularly appearing on local radio and television stations. After high school, she began a career in the banking industry and moved to California. Switching careers, she began writing songs that would be recorded by other artists. After being briefly signed with Challenge Records, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to further elevate her country music recording career. In Nashville, Seely's "Don't Touch Me" was released on Monument Records and reached the US country top five. She followed it with several more top-10 and -20 songs, including "A Wanderin' Man" (1967) and "I'll Love You More (Than You'll Need)" (1968).

Seely then formed a duet musical partnership with Jack Greene, and they began collaborating together in the late 1960s. Their highest-charting single was 1969's "Wish I Didn't Have to Miss You", and they subsequently toured over the next decade. Her solo career continued with the popular singles "Can I Sleep in Your Arms" (1973) and "Lucky Ladies" (1974). After a car accident in 1977, Seely's career went on a brief hiatus and then resumed new projects. This included her appearances in the Willie Nelson film Honeysuckle Rose and acting in several stage plays, opening a Nashville bar, and becoming the first woman to host the Grand Ole Opry.

In the 1990s, Seely returned to recording albums with a 1990 eponymous release, followed by her first album of Christmas music in 1994 called Number One Christmas. Her other releases included the critically acclaimed 2003 album Life's Highway. Her last studio release was 2020's An American Classic, issued on Curb Records. Seely thereafter continued to work the Grand Ole Opry and became a regular host of a weekly radio program on Sirius XM's Willie's Roadhouse broadcast.

Birth and Death Data: Born July 6, 1940 (Titusville (city of Pennsylvania)), Died August 1, 2025 (Hermitage (section of Metropolitan Nashville, Tennessee) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1969 - 1972

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 58 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca NA 15394 1/2/1969 Until my dreams come true Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15395 1/2/1969 Just out of reach Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15396 1/2/1969 Yours love Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15397 1/2/1969 Walking after midnight Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15398 1/3/1969 How big a fire Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15399 1/3/1969 Wichita lineman Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15400 1/3/1969 I'll be better off Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15404 1/4/1969 With pen in hand Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15405 1/4/1969 Just enough to start me dreamin' Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15406 1/4/1969 Too far gone Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15407 1/4/1969 So was he Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15553 4/14/1969 Out loud Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15554 4/14/1969 What kind of bird is that Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15555 4/14/1969 Each time Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15563 4/16/1969 Hungry eyes Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15564 4/16/1969 Margie's at the Lincoln Park Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15565 4/16/1969 I'm afraid I lied Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15570 4/22/1969 All I want is you Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15571 4/22/1969 Between the king and I Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15572 4/22/1969 Singing my song Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15615 5/20/1969 Faded love (Fool No.1 ; Hang your head in shame ; Tomorrow never comes ; Crazy) Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15616 5/20/1969 Have you found it yet Jeannie Seely vocalist  
Decca NA 15628 6/3/1969 Willingly Jack Greene vocalist  
Decca NA 15629 6/3/1969 Our chain of love Jack Greene vocalist  
Decca NA 15630 6/3/1969 How can our chattin' be wrong? Jack Greene vocalist  
(Results 1-25 of 58 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Seely, Jeannie," accessed December 30, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/342955.

Seely, Jeannie. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 30, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/342955.

"Seely, Jeannie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 30 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/342955

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