Archive August 2, 2025

Dolly Parton, a long-time friend of Jeannie Seely, claims that the soulful singer from Titusville, Pennsylvania, had “a wonderful sense of humor.” She was a pioneer in country music.

Dolly Parton has paid a heartbreaking tribute to her longtime friend – and country music trailblazer – Jeannie Seely.

Seely, 85, died on Friday following complications from an intestinal infection following a career which spanned more than six decades. She won a Grammy in 1967 for her hit Don’t Touch Me, an award which propelled her career in performance and made Seely a trailblazer for women in country music.

Reacting to Seely’s passing today, Parton, 79, said on Instagram: “I have known Jeannie Seely since we were early on in Nashville. She was one of my dearest friends. I think she was one of the greater singers in Nashville and she had a wonderful sense of humour. We had many wonderful laughs together, cried over certain things together and she will be missed.”

Seely died eight months after the passing of her husband Eugene Ward, who had a journey with cancer and it is thought also knew Parton. Seely’s career influenced Parton’s music and the latter won her first Grammy in 1979, some 12 years after Seely had bagged her sole one. Parton has since celebrated 10 more Grammy Awards, her most recent – Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song – coming in 2021 for There Was Jesus.

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But, like Seely, Parton lost her husband recently as Carl Dean – whom she wed in 1966 – passed away in Nashville, Tennessee. His ill-health happened at the same time as Seely’s, as she had two emergency abdominal surgeries in recent months.

However, the rebellious singer from Titusville, Pennsylvania, said: “Rehab is pretty tough, but each day is looking brighter, and last night, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel.” I was aware that it was mine because it was neon. The unsinkable Seely is “working her way back.”

Seely hasn’t stopped playing on Grand Ole Opry, a popular live country music radio program in the US, since then. The tragic performer will be the subject of Saturday’s Grand Ole Opry performance. Since 1967, Seely has appeared on the program more than 5, 000 times overall.

After becoming one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and winning numerous world championships, Hulk Hogan passed away from acute myocardial infarction, also known as a heart attack.

Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan will be cremated, according to his official death certificate released today.

The ceremony for the six-time World Wrestling Federation (WWF – now WWE) champion will occur at the Bay Area Crematory in Clearwater, Florida, the city where Hogan – real name Terry Bollea – had been living at the time of his passing. It is unclear at this stage, though, whether the cremation will be part of a public or private funeral, or if the ceremony will have elements of each, similar to Ozzy Osbourne’s procession and service this week.

But the death certificate – seen by the media today – shows the star’s memorial service has been booked at the Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park and Funeral Home, also in Clearwater. Hogan died at 71 following a cardiac arrest at his home in the city on Thursday July 24.

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It was indeed confirmed this week Hogan, a father of two, had an acute myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack. Documents obtained by PageSix state Hogan had a history of atrial fibrillation (AFib), which is a heart condition characterised by an irregular and often rapid heart rate.

Details around Hogan’s funeral were scant in recent days but it has now been confirmed the late athlete’s mortal remains will be cremated. The certificate, as seen by TMZ, also shows Hogan’s death was officially attributed to natural causes.

And a spokesperson for the the Pinellas County Forensic Science Center, assisting in the autopsy, today told Page Six: “I’m not aware of when Mr. Bollea will be cremated, only that we’ve received a request for cremation approval.”

The media personality, who was born in Augusta, Georgia, had a history of leukemia CLL, which is a type of cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. It is understood the dad was battling this when he made his final WWE appearance in January in Inglewood California – where members of the audience booed him. His longtime pal and manager, Jimmy Hart, recently said Hogan was shocked by the negative reaction he received from the audience and claimed it “bothered him”.

Jimmy explained on the podcast Stories With Brisco and Bradshaw, “We go out and we had a mixed response. I’ll be darned if there are 500 cheerleaders and one booer, but I won’t be that way.

Country music legend and Grammy winner Jeannie Seely has passed away at the age of 85.

The singer had a number of hits, including Don’t Touch Me, which she won a Grammy for at the age of 26 in 1967. Sely was introduced in 1959, and he was one of the youngest people to receive a Grammy, and he did so for a while before going on to become one of the youngest.

The musician from Titusville, Pennsylvania, was renowned for her distinctive vocal style and earned the nickname “Miss Country Soul” for decades after her success lasted for decades. Seely was a pioneer of country music for women, known for her spirited nonconformity, and for a number of undeniable hits in the 1960s and 1970s.

Seely appeared on nearly 5,400 episodes of Grand Ole Opry, a much-loved live country music radio show in the US, over the course of her more than six decades of career. Following Seely’s passing on Friday due to complications from an intestinal infection, Saturday’s Grand Ole Opry show will be dedicated to her.

The singer, who had a number of country hits in the 1960s and 1970s, including three Top 10 hits on the now-dubbed Billboard’s top country songs chart, Don’t Touch Me, I’ll Love You More (Than You Need), and Can I Sleep In Your Arms?, an adaptation of the folk song Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister?, was Don Murry Grubbs, the star’s publicist.

However, Seely, who was nominated for numerous other Grammy Awards, had a bit of a rebellious streak, known for wearing a miniskirt on stage when it was still forbidden. Her glittering success came at a time when country music demanded a certain level of subservience from female singers, which has had a significant impact on contemporary artists like Shania Twain and Sheryl Crow.

Seely, who had two emergency procedures, multiple back surgeries, and 11 days spent in the ICU, made it known in May that she was recovering. Additionally, she developed pneumonia.

The singer said, “Rehab is pretty difficult, but each day is looking brighter, and last night I saw a light at the end of the tunnel.” I was aware that it was mine because it was neon. The unsinkable Seely is reversing her course.

Seely was raised in Townville and was born in Titusville in July 1940, about two hours north of Pittsburgh. Her mother sang and her father played the banjo, and she immediately fell in love with country music. She performed on local television as a child and sang on local radio. She began her career in Los Angeles in her early 20s, working for Liberty and Imperial Records in Hollywood.

Seely continued to record and write. She then signed with Monument Records and sang on Porter Wagoner’s show. Soon afterward, Hank Cochran’s crossover ballad Don’t Touch Me would be her greatest hit. Seely won the song’s best country and western vocal performance in the female category, earning her first and only Grammy award.

Cochran and Seely were married in 1969 but split up in 1979. Since sadly married to Gene Ward, who passed away last year.

In her final years, Seely continued to record albums, perform, and host shows. She frequently appeared on country music programming. Her songs have been listened to by everyone from Ernest Tubb to Ray Price and Connie Smith to Grandpa Jones and Little Jimmy Dickens, and are regarded as classics.

Seely continued to be active in country music. She’s hosted the weekly Sunday’s with Seely on Willie Nelson’s Roadhouse SiriusXM channel since 2018 and has hosted Seely’s weekly Sunday shows. She was also inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame that year.

She joined Grand Ole Opry in 1967, the year she received her Grammy. The soulful singer-songwriter recorded at the famed RCA Studio B and released her most recent song in July 2024, a cover of Dottie West’s “Suffertime.” She gave it a year earlier at the Opry.