Dolly Parton Shares Dearest Friend Has Passed Away
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
2025 has been a year of loss for Dolly Parton. Her husband of nearly sixty years, Carl Dean, passed away just a few months ago. Now the country music icon paid tribute to another dear friend who passed away.
Dolly Parton Shares Dearest Friend Has Passed Away
Dolly Parton recently took to social media to share the news that one of her dearest and lifelong friends has passed away. Jeannie Seely, 85, passed away on August 1st from complications of an intestinal infection. According to Dolly Parton, they’d been friends since her early days in Nashville. As fans know, Dolly moved to Nashville as a teenager in search of her big break.
The sad loss comes after the entertainment suffered three huge losses last week. Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner died after drowning while on vacation in Costa Rica. Heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne was the next to unexpectedly pass away, followed by wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, who once shared a close connection with Dolly Parton.
The “9 to 5” singer is still in deep mourning after losing her husband. She married Carl Dean in 1966 when she was just twenty years old. They’d met a few years earlier when she moved to Nashville.
Dolly Parton posted a heartfelt tribute to Jeannie Seely on social media. She wrote that they were dear friends and in her opinion, Jeannie was one of the best singers in Nashville. Dolly added that they shared many laughs and a few tears over the years. “She will be missed,” Dolly wrote about her friend.
Who Is Jeannie Seely
Jeannie Seely is most known for her 1966 hit “Don’t Touch Me.” According to PEOPLE magazine, she was a regular performer at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, performing in the famed circle over 5,000 times.
The outlet also notes that Jeannie Seely pushed back against an Opry rule that forbade women from hosting. She made history as the first woman to host in 1985 but the rule wasn’t officially changed until 1993.
The singer collaborated with Willie Nelson on the soundtrack for the 1980 movie Honeysuckle Rose. She later joined him on tour. Jeannie Seely was inducted into Nashville’s Music City Walk of Fame in 2018.
Like Dolly Parton, Jeannie Seely got into acting as well. She appeared in musicals Takin’ It Home and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Reba McEntire Pays Tribute
Dolly Parton isn’t the only one paying tribute to Jeannie Seely. Reba McEntire, who has been friends with Dolly for decades, posted an old photo of the three together.
“I’ve always loved this woman! She was a little spitfire, opinionated team player,” Reba captioned the post. “Rest in peace, Jeannie,” she added.
I’ve always loved this woman! She was a little spitfire, opinionated team player! Rest in peace, Jeannie pic.twitter.com/Uo8NUUf76F
— Reba McEntire (@reba) August 2, 2025
While Jeannie Seely wasn’t as famous as Reba or Dolly, she’ll be sorely missed by the country music community.
