Jeannie Seely, the emotional country singer behind hits like “Don't Touch Me,” has died at 85.
Her death, which occurred Friday, was caused by complications from an intestinal infection, according to her publicist, Dawn Merry Grubbs.
Dubbed “Miss Country Soul” for her unique singing style, Seely was a trailblazer for women in country music, known for her resolute nonconformity and a string of undeniable hits in the 1960s and 1970s.
Her husband, Gene Ward, passed away in December.
In May, the artist announced that she was recovering from a series of spinal surgeries, two emergency procedures and 11 days in intensive care. She also suffered from pneumonia.
“The recovery period is not easy, but it gets easier every day. Yesterday I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. It was neon, and I knew it was my sign,” she said in a statement.
“The Unbreakable Silence Returns.”
Dolly Parton was among her peers who paid her respects Friday, recalling how she met Seeley as young adults when both were starting out in Nashville.
“She was one of my closest friends,” Parton noted on social media.
“She was one of Nashville's great voices. She had a wonderful sense of humor. We shared joys and sorrows, and now we will miss her,” the singer added.
Seeley was born in July 1940 in Titusville, Pennsylvania, about two hours from Pittsburgh, and spent her childhood in nearby Townville.
Her love for country music was immediate: her mother sang and her father played the banjo. Already in her youth, she performed on local radio and television.
In the 1960s and 1970s, she had numerous Billboard top 10 hits, including “Don't Touch Me, I'll Love You More (Than You Need)” (1967) and “Can I Sleep In Your Arms?” (1973), a reworking of the folk song “Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister?”
The artist continued to make records, give concerts and host radio broadcasts, remaining an icon of the genre. Her works became classics and were performed by Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Connie Smith, Ernest Tubb and others.
She has performed nearly 5,400 times on the Grand Ole Opry, where she has been a member since 1967. Grubbs said Saturday's show will be dedicated to Seeley's memory.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
