55-year Opry member Jeannie Seely is shocked to learn that she's appeared more than any other artist in the show's 97-year history. Seely can trace her first memories of the Grand Ole Opry back to when she was just 4 years old. Growing up in tiny Townville, Pennsylvania, she and her family would huddle around the radio on Saturday nights to listen to the popular show. She loved it so much that, during the week, she kept trying to dial it in on the radio. "I thought I should get the Opry," the Grammy-winning country artist tells PEOPLE. Almost eight decades later, that little girl's wish — a life filled with the Opry — has come true beyond her wildest dreams, for no one more than Seely represents the heart and soul of what is perhaps country music's most hallowed institution. To read the full story, tap our bio link! 📷: Chris Hollo