Sony Music Publishing Nashville Celebrates Jeannie Seely with Three Reimagined Classics
Mae Estes, Hannah Dasher, Tiera, and Madeline Edwards join ‘Miss Country Soul’ on special releases throughout Women’s History Month
NASHVILLE, TN – (March 20, 2025) – Sony Music Publishing Nashville honors iconic country star Jeannie Seely this Women’s History Month by bringing three reimagined songs to fans through collaborations with rising female country artists. The series, which launched on March 14 with “Let’s Get Together” featuring Mae Estes, continues throughout March with the release of “Who Needs You” with Hannah Dasher and Tiera on the 21st and “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)” with Madeline Edwards on the 28th.
Grand Ole Opry legend Jeannie Seely, known as ‘Miss Country Soul,’ has performed over 5,400 times on the Grand Ole Opry stage throughout her nearly 58-year tenure, more than any other country artist in the show’s 100-year history. Her expansive career as a songwriter and performer began with her 1966 hit “Don’t Touch Me” and continues to endure today, cementing her legacy as an influential mentor for female artists at the Opry and beyond.
Jeannie Seely said, “What an honor to be a part of this exciting new Sony Music Publishing Production with Chelsea Kent. It is one thing to have your old copyrights reinvented in a fresh light, but yet another to be included on the recordings as well! It has been a joy to work with some of the brightest and most talented young artists and musicians who are leading our industry into the future.”
“We are honored to represent Jeannie Seely and her incredible catalog of songs. She is a genre-defining artist and songwriter who has continued to be one of the greatest mentors across multiple generations of country music. This project showcases our team’s unique ability to bring value to our songwriters in innovative ways, and we are grateful for Jeannie’s partnership on these exciting new releases,” said Rusty Gaston, CEO, Sony Music Publishing Nashville.
Newly recorded by Mae Estes, the project’s first release, “Let’s Get Together,” is an unreleased song written by Jeannie Seely and Glen Campbell. Discovered by SMP catalog expert Dale Bobo in Sony Music Publishing Nashville’s tape room, this hidden gem has been revitalized through modern technology by engineer Jason Hall, enabling a new artist to join the recording.
Dropping on March 21, the second release, “Who Needs You,” is a fun and rowdy track that’s already an Opry favorite and is perfect for a girls’ night out. Solely written by Jeannie Seely and recorded at Sony Tree Studio A, the track features Jeannie, Hannah Dasher and Tiera and is produced by multi-year ACM Electric Guitar Player of the Year Rob McNelley.
The final installment in the series arrives on March 28 with “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand),” featuring Seely and Opry Next inductee Madeline Edwards. Co-produced by Edwards and McNelley, the release brings a fresh perspective to the iconic R&B hit.
About Jeannie Seely:
Early in Jeannie Seely’s career, music industry professionals praised her soul-inspired vocals, which resulted in Jeannie being named “Miss Country Soul” – a title still used today. In 2019, Jeannie was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts from Lincoln Memorial University for her many groundbreaking accomplishments in the music industry.
Born and raised in northwestern Pennsylvania, Jeannie received the “Most Promising Female Artist” award in 1964 from the Country and Western Academy (later becoming the Academy of Country Music). A year later, Jeannie moved to Nashville, where she signed with Monument Records, and her chart-topping hit “Don’t Touch Me” resulted in Jeannie becoming only the third female country artist to receive a Grammy Award. After receiving the “Most Promising New Artist” awards from Cashbox, Record World, and Billboard, Jeannie appeared on Billboard’s country singles chart for 13 consecutive years.
On September 16, 1967, Jeannie Seely was inducted as a world-famous Grand Ole Opry member. She was the first Pennsylvania native to become an Opry member and later became the first female to regularly host Opry segments. Widely recognized for changing the image of female country performers, Jeannie became the first person to wear a mini-skirt on the Opry stage. Jeannie formed one of the most successful duets and road shows in country music history with fellow Opry member Jack Greene. In 2022, the Grand Ole Opry honored Jeannie for the most performances in the Opry’s history, a record that will almost certainly remain intact forever.
A BMI-awarded songwriter, Jeannie’s songs have been recorded by Country Music Hall of Fame members, including Dottie West, Merle Haggard, Connie Smith, Ray Price, Willie Nelson, Faron Young, Ernest Tubb, Little Jimmy Dickens, and Hank Williams Jr. – as well as by artists ranging from Irma Thomas (the “Soul Queen of New Orleans”) to Rhonda Vincent (the “Queen of Bluegrass”), from Chris LeDoux to Moe Bandy, and from Boys II Men to Seal.
The star of significant stage productions including Always, Patsy Cline, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, and several others, Jeannie has served as a radio disc jockey on her own Armed Forces Network, traveled on military tours throughout Europe and Asia, and published her book titled Pieces Of A Puzzled Mind. Recordings by Jeannie Seely have spanned seven decades, from her Top 10 Billboard album The Seely Style to her Curb Records album An American Classic, which includes her third duet with friend Willie Nelson. Jeannie appeared in Willie’s movie Honeysuckle Rose and sang on the platinum soundtrack album. In 2018, Jeannie began hosting her weekly show, “Sundays with Seely,” on the Willie’s Roadhouse channel of SiriusXM.
In 2018, Jeannie was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame, representing all music genres. At the inaugural Influencing Women Awards Gala in 2019, the first “Standing Ovation Award” was presented to Jeannie, and her name was added to the annual award. In 2022 Jeannie was recognized on the nationally televised Country Music Association (CMA) Awards Show, in 2023 she received the CMA’s prestigious Joe Talbot Award, and in 2024 she was honored by SOURCE with the esteemed Jo Walker-Meador Lifetime Achievement Award. Following Jeannie’s 5,381st performance on the Grand Ole Opry in September 2024, the “Jeannie Seely Interchange” was dedicated at the Briley Parkway exit to the Grand Ole Opry House.
Movie lovers from around the globe will descend upon Hollywood for the 16th edition of the TCM Classic Film Festival, set to take place Thursday, April 24 – Sunday, April 27, 2025. Over four packed days and nights, attendees will be treated to an extensive lineup of great movies, appearances by legendary stars and filmmakers, fascinating presentations and panel discussions, special events, and more.
