Due to complications from an intestinal infection, Jeannie Seely passed away on Friday at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee.
She was eighty-five.
Seely had two emergency abdomen surgery and several back surgeries this spring for vertebral repairs, according to a statement from her representative to PEOPLE.
Seely disclosed that she had also [suffered] a case of pneumonia and had spent 11 days in the intensive care unit at the time of her hospitalization.
The Grand Ole Opry tweeted on social media to mourn the passing of Mrs. Jeannie Seely, a great icon to us here at the Opry. For many people in the country music industry, Jeannie is the epitome of a mentor and close friend.
She made her stage debut at the Opry in 1966 and has since performed there with a unique grace, sass, and style, and to top it all off, her wit and humor.”
Don’t Touch Me, a song from 1966, was the country singer’s first hit. A Wanderin’ Man, I’ll Love You More (Than You’ll Need), and her 1969 duet with Jack Greene, Wish I Didn’t Have to Miss You, were among her other tunes.
Seely gave almost 5,300 performances at the Grand Ole Opry.
She has been an Opry member for 57 years and is known for her daring fashion choices that have changed the perception of female country musicians. She has also supported initiatives to support and elevate women’s roles in the music industry and was proud to be the first female host of an Opry segment, the Opry wrote.
Beyond the Opry, she wrote tunes that reached the top of the charts for herself and numerous other artists, and she was the third female performer to receive a Grammy.
Miss Country Soul, your legacy will endure here at the Opry House forever. You will be sorely missed.
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