The Story of Jeannie Seely

Known as "Miss Country Soul," Jeannie Seely took the reigns of her career at a time when very few women in the music industry could. Hailing from a farm in Pennsylvania, the singer learned that hard work can take you any place your dreams wanted you to go. Her emotion-packed voice and on-stage wisecracks have earned her a spot among the greats of country music. In honor of her birthday today, we are taking a closer look at Seely's storied career.

At the age of 21, Seely and a few of her friends moved to L.A. where she worked as a DJ on the Armed Forces Radio Network. During that time she also began writing songs of her own. Connie Smith and Dottie West would end up recording a few of those tunes. Seely later appeared on the television show Hollywood Jamboree, which caught the attention of songwriter Hank Cochran. Cochran encouraged Seely to move to the home of country music: Nashville, TN. Seely has gone on to say that she showed up in town with nothing but $50 and her Ford Falcon.

After signing with Monument Records, Seely recorded the song "Don't Touch Me." It peaked at No. 2 on the charts and earned Seely the 1966 Grammy award for country vocal performance. Her personality always seemed to shine through no matter what she did. Seely made waves by appearing on the Grand Ole Opry stage wearing a miniskirt. To this day, she is still the only singer from Pennsylvania to be a member of the Opry.

Seely recorded a number of hits during the late '60s and into the '70s such as "It's Only Love," He Can Be Mine," and "When It's Over." She made several guest appearances on TV shows like Hee Haw and That Nashville Music. Due to her individualism, Seely began changing the perception of what a female singer's career was supposed to look like. In 1985, she became the first female to regularly host segments of the Grand Ole Opry.

Seely also starred in various Broadway musicals, including Takin' It Home. Seely published her memoir in 1988 called Pieces Of A Puzzled Mind which contained many of her "Seely-isms" that many have come to adore. Seely has continued to churn out new music as her most recent album An American Classic was released in 2020. Seely continues to prove that she has even more up her sleeve, and we can't wait to see what the future holds.

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