Nashville, TN (October 16, 2024) — Grand Ole Opry staple Jeannie Seely is one of the most recognized classic country names in Nashville, and now she has the “street cred” to prove it. The Jeannie Seely Interchange is now cemented into history with road signs officially in place near the Grand Ole Opry House.
Recently, following her 5,381st performance on the Opry, Seely was called back to the stage for a special presentation made by Mark Ezell, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, along with TN State Senator Heidi Campbell and TN State Representative Darren Jernigan.
A replica of the sign stating “Grand Ole Opry Star Jeannie Seely Interchange” was then displayed for the Opry audience to see.
“To be recognized by the entire state of Tennessee is overwhelming,” says Seely. “Thank you so much for naming the interchange at the entrance to the Grand Ole Opry in my honor. Hopefully this will serve as one more sign of welcome to the folks who visit Nashville and support our music industry. I’m so grateful.”
In closing, Seely thanked Commissioner Ezell, Senator Campbell, Representative Jernigan, and her husband Gene Ward who she said “taught me about the community and how to serve and be a part of it.”
Seely’s had a busy year. In August, she was presented with the “Jo Walker-Meader Lifetime Achievement Award” at the recent 21st annual SOURCE Awards, which honors trailblazing women in the music industry. The ceremony was held at Nashville’s Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum and presented by Springer Mountain Farms. Seely has co-hosted the awards show for many years with Brenda Lee, who paid tribute to Seely by saying she “gives so much and asks for almost nothing in return which, in this industry, almost never happens.” Lee also referred to Seely as a rare “real” person in the industry and noted that Seely has performed on the Grand Ole Opry stage 5,375 times which is more than any other artist.
Additionally, she was recently named the Artist Ambassador and Honorary Chair of Music for Seniors’ inaugural “Lighting Up Lives” campaign, a month-long awareness and fundraising effort that aims to highlight the impact of music on the health and happiness of older adults in Tennessee.
Music for Seniors connects talented local musicians with older adults through live, interactive music programs. These events are designed to engage the mind and spirit, promote health, reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness, and enrich the lives of everyone involved. For 17 years Music for Seniors has played a vital role in enhancing the quality of lives for seniors, and this year they will serve more than 45,000 older adults through more than 1,700 live music events.
Last month, she performed at “An Evening with Jeannie Seely and Friends” at the Soho House Nashville, which benefited the organization.
About Jeannie Seely
Early in her career, Jeannie Seely’s soul-inspired vocals were praised by music industry professionals and resulted Seely being named “Miss Country Soul,” a title still used today. Ken Burns of PBS called Seely’s voice “emotion packed” in a biography of her music. In 2019 Seely added the title of “Doctor” to her name when she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts from Lincoln Memorial University for her many groundbreaking accomplishments in the music industry and her support and encouragement of new talent. After moving from her home state of Pennsylvania to California, Seely received the “Most Promising Female Artist” award in 1964 from the Country and Western Academy (later becoming the Academy of Country Music). A year later Seely moved to Nashville where she signed with Monument Records, and her chart-topping hit “Don’t Touch Me” resulted in Seely becoming only the third female country artist to receive a Grammy Award. Seely received Most Promising New Artist awards from Cashbox, Record World, and Billboard, and went on to score records on Billboard’s country singles chart for 13 consecutive years. On September 16, 1967, Seely was inducted as a member of the world-famous Grand Ole Opry. She was the first Pennsylvania native to become an Opry member, and then later became the first female to regularly host Opry segments. Widely recognized for changing the image of female country performers, Seely became the first person to wear a mini skirt on the Opry stage. Seely made history again in 2022 by being named the artist with the most performances in the Grand Ole Opry’s history. To date she has performed over 5,300 times. A BMI-awarded songwriter, Seely’s songs have been recorded by Country Music Hall of Fame members including Dottie West, Merle Haggard, Connie Smith, Ray Price, Willie Nelson, Faron Young, Ernest Tubb, Little Jimmy Dickens, and Hank Williams Jr., as well as by artists ranging from Irma Thomas, the “Soul Queen of New Orleans,” to Rhonda Vincent, the “Queen of Bluegrass,” and from Boys II Men to Seal. Seely’s composition titled “Yours” was named “Song of the Year” at the 2022 Arkansas Country Music Awards. The star of major stage productions including Always, Patsy Cline, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, and several others, Seely also appeared in the movie Changing Hearts. Seely has served as a radio disc jockey on her own Armed Forces Network, traveled on military tours throughout Europe and Asia, published her own book titled Pieces Of A Puzzled Mind, and received her own “Star” in the Music City Walk of Fame which represents all genres of music. Seely’s recordings have spanned seven decades from her Top 10 Billboard album The Seely Style to her Curb Records album An American Classic which includes her third duet with friend Willie Nelson. Seely appeared in Nelson’s movie Honeysuckle Rose and sang on the platinum soundtrack album. In 2018 Seely began hosting her own weekly show “Sundays with Seely” on the Willie’s Roadhouse channel of SiriusXM. At the inaugural Influencing Women Awards Gala in 2019, Seely was presented the first “Standing Ovation Award,” and then Seely’s name was added to the award. In 2022, she was recognized on the nationally-televised Country Music Association (CMA) Awards Show, and in 2023 she received the CMA’s prestigious Joe Talbot Award. In August 2024, she was honored by SOURCE with the esteemed Jo Walker-Meador Lifetime Achievement Award.
For more information on Jeannie Seely, visit jeannieseely.com.
