Jeannie Seely, the Grammy-winning voice behind “Don’t Touch Me” and a Grand Ole Opry mainstay for decades, has passed away at 85. She died on August 1, 2025, at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee, following complications from an intestinal infection.
In 2024, Seely was hospitalized in Pittsburgh while visiting her hometown. Doctors treated her for acute diverticulitis and dehydration, but she was discharged soon after and said to be doing well.
The following spring brought more serious trouble. She underwent several back surgeries for vertebrae repairs, followed by two emergency abdominal operations. During that stretch, she spent 11 days in the ICU and also battled pneumonia.
Months before her passing, Seely also lost her husband Eugene Ward to cancer in December 2024.
She is survived by three stepchildren from her first marriage to songwriter Hank Cochran, along with several grandchildren.
Here’s a closer look at the family behind the country legend.
Jeannie Seely’s First Husband: Hank Cochran
Seely married songwriter Hank Cochran on June 15, 1969, in a church ceremony in Renfro Valley, Kentucky. A few years later, they built a home together on a 77-acre farm in Hendersonville, Tennessee, where they settled around 1975.
Their relationship began to fall apart in the late 1970s, and they eventually filed for divorce in 1979. Some sources list their legal separation lasting until 1981. For Cochran, it was his fourth marriage—he was married five times in total.
Music was a shared part of their lives. Seely later said that Cochran played a key role in shaping country music, something she mentioned in a 2012 documentary about his life.
Cochran also had a solid run as a singer and songwriter. Between 1962 and 1980, he placed seven songs on the Billboard country charts. His biggest solo hit was “Sally Was a Good Old Girl,” which reached number 20.
He died on July 15, 2010, at the age of 74.
Second Hubby: Eugene Ward
In 2010, Seely married her second husband, Gene Ward, a Nashville-based attorney who became her steady companion later in life.
The two shared a quiet but strong bond, and in 2019, they renewed their vows during a country music cruise. “The reason Gene and I wanted to renew our vows is because first of all, we can,” Seely told YourErie at the time, adding that she thought her fans would enjoy seeing Gene “looking so sharp in his suit.”
Throughout their marriage, the iconic artist remained deeply committed to Ward, especially when his health started to decline. She even canceled several of her performances when he was hospitalized.
Ward passed away on December 13, 2024, at the age of 92, after being diagnosed with cancer. In a statement, Seely, then 84, said, “My heart is broken now, but I am so grateful for the 15 years I had with Gene. I knew he was a good man when I married him, but as I experienced life with him, I learned he was a really great man.”
Ward is survived by his wife Jeannie, his three children—Judy, Keven, and Johnny—as well as several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.
Ward Had a Longstanding Legal Career in Tennessee
Gene Ward built a solid career in law that spanned decades. He grew up in White Pine, Tennessee, where he was a standout student and athlete before earning a business degree from Lincoln Memorial University. After that, he earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee in 1959 and began practicing soon after.
Over the years, he held several key legal positions across the state. He served as general counsel for the Tennessee Public Service Commission and later took on the same role at Nashville Electric Service, where he eventually became Vice President and General Counsel before retiring in 2011.
His work also earned him a spot in Lincoln Memorial University’s Professional Hall of Fame.
Jeannie Seely Didn’t Have Kids but Helped Raise a Few
Seely didn’t have any biological children, but she still found herself in motherly roles throughout her life. During her marriage to Hank Cochran, she became stepmother to his three sons from a previous marriage: Garland Jr., James Lee, and Daniel. Cochran also had a daughter, Booth, from a later marriage to Suzi.
In addition, Seely helped raise two of Jack Greene’s sons during a period when she was the main adult present in their lives. Reflecting on those years, she once told Country Stars Central, “I didn’t give birth to any children, but I helped raise three step-sons with Hank Cochran, and two of Jack Greene’s sons because I was the only one there.”
