When did Jeannie Seely hit her first break?
At 21, she, along with three girlfriends, ventured to Los Angeles. There she started her career deejaying, writing songs recorded by the likes of Connie Smith and Dottie West, and recording for Challenge Records. And in an unexpected turnaround, she met songwriter Hank Cochran who encouraged her to bring herself to Nashville. In 1965, she turned up with $50 and a Ford Falcon in front of Cochran, signed a record deal with Monument Records, and cut her debut and first-ever hit song “Don’t Touch Me.”
That song won her a prestigious GRAMMY award, led to a string of hits until the late ‘70s, and earned her the nickname “Miss Country Soul.” She also got her chance to perform on the Grand Ole Opry, where she appeared in a miniskirt – a style common to the era yet a bold preference on stage – an undeniable proof of her being a woman of her time.
