'It's Just Phenomenal': Jeannie Seely Opens Up About Being Country Music's Oldest Working Woman At 84

At 84, Jeannie Seely continues to thrive in country music, releasing Suffertime and breaking records at RCA Studio B. Her passion keeps her active, collaborating with top songwriters.

By Shovan Roy

Published on Jul 20, 2024 | 04:43 PM IST | 50K

Jeannie Seely (PC: YouTube/Jeannie Seely)

Jeannie Seely is 84 years old, but she’s still reigning in the country music world. She had never thought that she would be working at her age, but it was her love of music that kept her going. “Can you believe what's going on with me?” she asked with laughter. “This is crazy. It's just phenomenal that I'm still able to be doing this.”

A fresh song and a journey down memory lane

She released a new song titled Suffertime through digital platforms on July 19. Recording took place at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio B. In addition to the song, there was also a forty-minute documentary and video released about it. “We're recreating history,” Seely said in an interview, “I'm just doing things, truthfully, that just sound fun to do.”

Seely wanted to record a classic country song with a blues twist. She chose Suffertime, which Dottie West had previously sung and recorded as well. It had always been special for her, but she forgot about it until quite recently when she performed at the Grand Ole Opry again. This made her want to record it after seeing how positive people felt about her performance.

It was suggested by Ron Harman, who is an artistic director, that they should go back to RCA Studio B where they first recorded in 1964; they also decided to include video elements into the project.

They invited Steve Wariner, a great country musician, and Charlie McCoy, who works as a studio musician, among others, to be present during the session. “It was such a thrill for me to have him there,” she acknowledges Charlie’s presence.

Audience has always been the inspiration

Her first recording session at RCA Studio B became known for having one of the longest time spans between sessions ever held there before. Reflecting on her career, Seely mentioned memories of Kitty Wells, another long-term country star who also used to perform.

Wells died aged 92, but Seely thought of her friend’s many years in the music business at her 80th birthday party. “I wonder what it feels like to have a career that lasts this long,” she thought. Today, Seely has surpassed Wells as well.

Seely is very active despite her age. She no longer tours but still performs at special functions. Moreover, she is about to perform with Bill Anderson, who happens to be a close acquaintance of hers.

They usually tell each other stories about growing old in the country music industry and engage by calling one another almost on a daily basis. She says that her audiences are becoming older, unable to travel or attend these things; those were her people; she did all that because of them.

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