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Marilyn Jeanne Seely (born July 6, 1940) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She also has several acting credits and published a book. Seely found success with the Grammy Award-winning hit "Don't Touch Me" (1966). The song reached the No.2 position on the Billboard country songs chart and is her highest-charting single as a solo artist. Her soul-inspired vocal delivery was praised by music professionals, who gave her the nickname of "Miss Country Soul". Seely is also known for her membership and presence on the Grand Ole Opry, having appeared more times on the program than any other performer (over 5,000 appearances in her 55-year and ongoing tenure).Seely was born and raised in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Developing an early interest in country music, she performed regularly on local radio and television stations. Following high school graduation, she worked at a local bank before moving to southern California. It was on the west coast where she rediscovered country music. Originally a secretary at Imperial Records, she soon was writing songs for the company as well. Many of these songs would be recorded by other artists. In 1965, she signed her own recording contract with Challenge Records. Seely then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a recording career. In Nashville, Seely's "Don't Touch Me" was released on Monument Records and was a major hit single. She followed it with several more hits, including "A Wanderin' Man" (1967) and "I'll Love You More (Than You'll Need)" (1968). Seely started collaborating with Jack Greene in the late 1960s. The pair toured and had recordings together for several years. Their biggest single would be 1970's "Wish I Didn't Have to Miss You". Seely had solo success during this same time with "Can I Sleep in Your Arms" (1973) and "Lucky Ladies" (1974). In 1977, Seely's career went on hiatus after sustaining severe injuries in an automobile accident. With the support of others, she resumed her career. Seely took a more diverse career approach in the years following her accident. She appeared in the Willie Nelson film Honeysuckle Rose, acted in several stage plays and performed in concert regularly. During this period, Seely also became the first female artist to host the Grand Ole Opry. In addition, she released her first and only book to date, Pieces of a Puzzled Mind. In the 1990s, Seely returned to recording albums. This was launched with a 1990 eponymous release, followed by her first album of holiday music in 1994 called Number One Christmas. In 1999, she released the studio album Been There...Sung That!, which included duets with several artists. In 2003, Seely issued Life's Highway, a studio album that fused bluegrass with traditional country music. Her most recent studio release was 2020's An American Classic, issued on Curb Records. Seely has since been a consistent performer on the Grand Ole Opry and was the first woman to host the show. She has also been a regular host of a weekly radio program on Sirius XM. Early life Seely was born Marilyn Jeanne Seely in Titusville, Pennsylvania, on July 6, 1940. Although born in Titusville, she was raised in nearby Townville, Pennsylvania. Seely was the youngest of four children born to Irene and Leo Seely. Leo Seely was a farmer and an employer of the Titusville Steel Mill. On weekends, he worked at local square dances and played the banjo. Irene Seely was a homemaker who also enjoyed singing with her children while cooking. As a young child, family and friends often gathered together to perform. "It seemed like everybody back in the country played guitars and fiddles, and when we got together there was always pickin' and singin'," Seely recalled. She developed an interest in country music during her early years. On Saturday nights, the Seely family would spend time listening to the Grand Ole Opry in her parents' car. Mrs. Seely also brought her children to country music shows at a local venue named Hillbilly Park. At the park, the family often watched performances by country artists such as Little Jimmy Dickens, Bill Monroe and Jean Shepard.At age 11, she started performing on a local radio station, located in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Because of her short height and the lack of adjustable microphones, Seely had to stand on top of wooden containers to sing. At age 16, Seely became a regular performer on WICU, a local television station in Erie, Pennsylvania. She recounted being ridiculed by her high school peers in choosing to sing country music. "They all made fun of me because I sang country. I grew up poor and in those days calling someone 'country' was a put-down," she said in 2003. In high school, Seely was a cheerleader and an honors student. In 1958, she graduated from Townville High School at age 18.Instead of attending college, Seely took a job at the Titusville Trust Company as a stenographer. She was later promoted to a secretarial position. Rather than taking collegiate-level courses, she enrolled at the American Institute of Banking and took night classes. She later reflected that having background knowledge in finance and law helped her better understand the music business. Although Seely was living in Pennsylvania still, she was getting increasingly frustrated by the Pennsylvania winters. One winter day, her car got caught in a snow bank and she was forced to walk home. "I decided right then and there that I was ready to make a change," she recounted on her website. Music career 1961–1965: Move to California and early songwriting In 1961, Seely made the decision to move to southern California. She left in her MGA Roadster convertible, along with three other friends. Upon arriving, she found employment at a bank in Beverly Hills, California. However, Seely was more interested in the music business. After a year, she left the job to take a lower-paying secretarial position at Liberty and Imperial Records in Hollywood. While working as a record label secretary, Seely wrote one of her first compositions as a songwriter, "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)". Accompanying herself on piano, she tracked down writer Randy Newman to help finish the song. It would be picked up by R&B singer Irma Thomas. In 1964, it was released a single and became a major hit on the Billboard pop and R&B charts.In addition to secretarial work, Seely also worked as a disc jockey for the American Forces Network and appeared on a local California television show called Hollywood Jamboree. She also continued her work as a songwriter. She began writing songs for Four Star Music. As a songwriter, her songs were recorded by several country artists. One of the first vocalists to record a composition was Dottie West who cut the song "It Just Take Practice" for her 1965 album Dottie West Sings. The same year, Connie Smith recorded "Senses" which was co-written with Glen Campbell. It was issued on Smith's studio album Cute 'n' Country. Willie Nelson l.... Discover the Jeannie Greene popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Jeannie Greene books.