Jeannie Seely Becomes Sixth Woman Ever to Be on the Grand Ole Opry for Fifty Years

‘Miss Country Soul’, Jeannie Seely, celebrated 50 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night, exactly 50 years to the day she was first inducted on September 16, 1967, Seely performed her Grammy-winning classic “Don’t Touch Me” and other favorites before being joined on stage by fellow Opry member Bill Anderson and Opry General Manager Sally Williams to mark the occasion with gifts and presentations. Seely becomes the sixth woman in country music history to reach the milestone, joining Minnie Pearl, Jean Shepard, Wilma Lee Cooper, Loretta Lynn and Connie Smith with that distinction.

“Jeannie Seely lives and breathes the Grand Ole Opry,” Williams said. “It is an honor for all of us to celebrate such a talented, dedicated, trailblazing member of our Opry family. Watching her perform tonight, I think we can all agree she’s just getting started.”

“The Opry has been my life for more than 50 years," said Seely. "I feel so blessed to be a part of this Opry family, tonight was just the icing on the cake.”

The Pennsylvania-native first saw success with her hit single, “Don’t Touch Me,” which won a Grammy Award for “Best Country Vocal Performance by a Female” in 1966. Along with dozens of accolades, including awards from Billboard, Cashbox and Record World, Seely has achieved No. 1 songs as a solo artist, as a duet partner and as a songwriter. Her songs have been recorded by country legends such as Merle Haggard, Dottie West, Ernest Tubb and Ray Price.

Most recently Seely released Written In Song, a collection of 14 tracks all co-written or self penned by Seely. Distributed by Smith Music Group, 'Written In Song' brings back the traditional country sound that fans have been longing for. Standout tracks include “Leavin’ & Sayin’ Goodbye” featuring special guests Kenny and Tess Sears, “Senses” with guest Connie Smith and Marty Stuart and “We’re Still Hangin’ In There Ain’t We Jessi” with Jan Howard and Jessi Colter.

Our interview with Jeannie Seely from earlier this year: