It’s been 53 years since Jeannie Seely became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. 27 years old when she joined the Opry, Jeannie became not only the first woman to wear a miniskirt on stage, but also to host her own segment of the live show — both unheard of feats back then. For the now 80-year-old, it was less about pushing boundaries, and more about creating an environment of equality and fairness, for everyone.
“I like to think that I’ve tried to approach things in the right manner,” Jeannie told Everything Nash. “I mean, you can’t come in demanding things. I saw things that I thought just weren’t right. I tried to present the change in a good way and not criticize what was being done, but just make everybody see how much better it would be, if we, for instance, opened the doors for women to host a portion of the Opry. They used to tell me it was tradition.
“And I said, ‘But somewhere along the way, it’s turned into discrimination,'” she remembered. “‘You are ignoring at least 50 percent of your audience that are women, and you’re ignoring, and not taking advantage of, 50 percent of your talent. You’re ignoring a good portion of the talent that you could be using.’ Women, we are different than men. We look at things different; things have different meanings to us. I felt like a woman’s point of view would bring another dimension to the operation. So that was the way I presented it.”
Jeannie bravely chose to wear a miniskirt on stage, not just to make a fashion statement, but for all the women coming behind her, whom she believed also deserved the right to wear what they wanted as well.
“When I did that, unknowingly, by the way, I didn’t know there was an unwritten rule about how we were supposed to dress,” Jeannie shared. “When I did that and got away with it, that just kind of broke that rule, and allowed all the other women to wear whatever they wanted to wear.”
Jeannie will return to the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, July 10, as the Opry welcomes up to 500 guests per show, after being closed to a live audience since March, due to COVID-19. Although she has spent most of her adult life as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Jeannie still feels just as honored to be part of the hallowed institution as she did when she first joined 53 years ago, and maybe more.
“I think it probably means as much if not more than it ever did,” acknowledged the singer. “I love the Opry. I grew up listening to it as a kid. One of my dreams was to not only perform on that show, but to be a part of that family. My Opry family means as much to me, really as my own personal family. We’ve all kind of grown up together.
“My Opry sisters are very special to me, but somewhere along the way, you realize that it’s not only an honor to be there, but you have a responsibility to keep this wonderful American institution going and relevant so that the next little 12-year-old girl who is out there, who’s dreaming of being where I am, will have that opportunity to do so,” she continued. “I’ve always worked very hard to present music and humor, and a presence that would enhance the Opry, or certainly keep it going for the next generation.”
Jeannie’s latest album, An American Classic, is out now, and available for purchase at JeannieSeely.com.
