Violet Hensley, ‘Whittlin’ Fiddler,’ Dies at 109
Violet ‘Whittlin’ Fiddler’ Hensley, a renowned “Silver Dollar City legend” and country music legend, has passed away. Mrs. Hensley left this world for the next on the seventh, a Friday in August. Leslie, a quiet town, expressed sorrow about the loss of a true Arkansaw legend and an honorary Leslie citizen. In the tribute posted by Leslie on Facebook for Violet Hensley (Arkansas’ oldest living country singer):
The message concluded that Ms. Violet, although living in Yellville, held dear the hearts of folks from Leslie, and as the internationally famous Whittlin’ Fiddler, she represented in her music and craftsmanship the traditions, work ethic, and spirit that have made America the Whittling Capital.
Violet Hensley’s Legacy in Music and Whittling
“We were really honored to recognize Violet Hensley in 2025 and proclaim Violet Hensley Day and hand her the Key to the City of Leslie for preserving the whittling craft and the traditional Ozark songs and for being a source of inspiration to us.”
From KY3, we find out how Violet Hensley started fiddling when her dad taught her how to play and carve in early childhood. When she was raising nine children, she gave up fiddling for 27 years, but she came back fiddling and whittling her way to the 1960s.
Hensley not only built fiddles, but she also fiddled live at Missouri’s Silver Dollar City in Branson for some decades besides that. She also became the first person at the age of 99 to appear on the Grand Ole Opry. Here the performance is shown, with videos of this legendary place having already been shared. The Beverly Hillbillies were here when they were shooting for their TV show at Silver Dollar City.
Violet Remembered as an Ozarks Icon
“Today, the celebration of the gorgeous life of a sweet friend named Violet Hensley takes place, who was taken away at the incredible age of 109,” Silver Dollar City stated publicly. “The people of Silver Dollar City who loved Violet have expressed their gratitude in their own hearts and those of the people who were visiting and the residents through the music of the fiddle and the warmth of her smile and the charm of stories she was able to tell.”
“Not only was Violet among some of the few people in America who were very highly regarded as makers of fiddles and musicians; besides that, she was one of the main reasons behind the Ozarks tradition that helped people from different generations get connected to this special place,” the statement went on.
“To know Violet was to know someone who showed you true kindness, one who practiced modesty and one who, through her actions, revealed that she had always loved, others, not only for their looks but also for what went on in their heads, and had a deep love for the family.”
Hensley’s skills were demonstrated not only at Silver Dollar City and the Grand Ole Opry but also at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., besides being inducted into the National Fiddler’s Hall of Fame. Moreover, her reminiscence of a long life was published in Violet Hensley’s 2014 autobiography titled “Whittlin’ & Fiddlin’ My Own Way: The Violet Hensley Story.”
