Jeannie Seely, country singer and Grand Ole Opry star, dies at 85

Jeannie Seely, the soulful country music singer behind such standards like "Don't Touch Me," has died.She was 85.Her publicist, Don Murry Grubbs, said she died Friday after succumbing to complications from an intestinal infection.Known as "Miss Country Soul" for her unique vocal style, Seely was a trailblazer for women in country music, celebrated for her spirited nonconformity and for a string of undeniable hits in the '60s and '70s.Her second husband, Gene Ward, died in December.

In May, Seely revealed that she was in recovery after undergoing multiple back surgeries, two emergency procedures and spending 11 days in the ICU.She also suffered a bout of pneumonia.

"Rehab is pretty tough, but each day is looking brighter and last night, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel.And it was neon, so I knew it was mine!" she said in a statement at the time.

"The unsinkable Seely is working her way back." Dolly Parton was one of several country music luminaries paying her tribute on Friday, saying she met Seely when they were both young and starting out in Nashville."She was one of my dearest friends," Parton said on her social media accounts.

"I think she was one of the greater singers in Nashville and she had a wonderful sense of humor.We had many wonderful laughs together, cried over certain things together and she will be missed." Singer Charlie Daniels said on X that Seely was "a national treasure, and one fine lady." Seely was born in July 1940, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, about two hours north of Pittsburgh and was raised in nearby Townville.

Her love of country music was instant; her mother sang, and her father played the banjo.When she was a child, she sang on local radio programs and performed on local television.

In her early 20s, she moved to Los Angeles to kick-start a career, taking a job with Liberty and Imperial Records in Hollywood.She kept writing and recording.

Nashville was next: She sang on Porter Wagoner's show; sh...