Jeannie Seely

Jeannie Seely never had a number one record, yet she was a Grand Ole Opry stalwart for 57 years. See, country music didn't discard people. They might now, and it's true that record labels are notorious for cutting former million-selling artists loose. I suppose the Opry is different. Instead of rejecting the past, it embraces it. I like the past; I'm very fond of it. The past doesn't deserve to be forgotten, because if we forget the past, we're throwing away our humanity. 

I wasn't into country music in 1966. I was about to be, but not quite yet. My parents just listened to "music" on the radio; there was no delineation between styles, no genre stations. Whatever was popular got played—"Strangers in the Night" one minute, "Paperback Writer" the next, followed by Buck Owens' "Open Up Your Heart". So, I heard Jeannie Seely's #2 single:

I'll admit, I didn't appreciate it at the time. "Last Train to Clarksville" was more my style, but damn, this is a soulful song! It was written by Seely's soon-to-be husband and legendary songwriter, Hank Cochran, but could anyone else have delivered it better?

A rising star in the 1960's, Jeannie Seely's chart performance suffered (perhaps) from unmemorable song choices, odd considering that she no only lived with one of country's premier writing masters, but that she was also a good songwriter--for other artists. Here's one of hers, recorded by Faron Young:

 

Aside from her #2 single, "Don't Touch Me", Seely saw her biggest success when she partnered with Decca labelmate Jack Greene.

(I still have this album.)

 

The duo was nominated for CMA Vocal Duo of the year for four consecutive years (1972-1975); never won, losing out to Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn every time. It's impossible to find a 1969 performance video of their biggest record, so this poor-audio rendition will have to do:

                                              (Coincidentally, this also topped the charts at #2)

Here is one more:

 

                                                                  (poor video editing)

Purportedly, the duo disbanded because Greene was getting more solo concert offers, but these teamings always had a shelf life, whether it was Porter and Dolly or George and Tammy. 

As a solo artist, Seely made it to #6 on the charts with this one (obviously performed long after 1973):

                                                             (𝅘𝅥𝅮 𝅗𝅥 But remember the Red River Valley 𝅘𝅥𝅰𝅘𝅥𝅮)

Perhaps her dearth of chart success was tempered by Seely's other interests, which included acting, songwriting (as previously noted), and hosting a Sirius XM Sunday show as part of Willie's Roadhouse.

And she finally "topped the charts" by becoming the performer with the most Grand Ole Opry appearances--5,397--a record which will likely never be surpassed. 

Jeannie Seely passed away on August 1, 2025, and the Opry cried. There's a lot to be said for tradition. Jeannie Seely embodied it.