The Brief

NASHVILLE - Country music icon Jeannie Seely, a Grammy-winning singer and longtime Grand Ole Opry member known for her soulful voice and trailblazing spirit, has died at 85.

Seely died Friday in Nashville after a brief illness, according to her publicist. Her death came less than a year after the passing of her husband, Gene Ward, in December 2024.

Following news of her death, fellow legend Dolly Parton posted a heartfelt tribute, calling Seely "one of my dearest friends."

Marilyn Jeanne Seely remembered

What we know:

Born Marilyn Jeanne Seely in Titusville, Pennsylvania, she moved to Nashville in the mid-1960s and quickly rose to stardom with the release of her 1966 hit "Don’t Touch Me," which earned her a Grammy Award and climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard country chart.

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