Jeannie Seely, a country star of the ’60s and ’70s who had been a favorite of Grand Ole Opry audiences from her induction in 1967 up until the present day, died Friday at age 85.
Seely last performed on the Opry on Feb. 22 of this year — her 5,397th Opry performances, which surpassed the number for any other performer in the history of the century-old live broadcast. Not just on the Opry, but generally speaking, Seely was considered to be the oldest regularly working female country singer. (Among all ongoing Opry stars, Bill Anderson still had a couple of years on her; he is 87.)