Violet Brumley Hensley, the celebrated Arkansas fiddle maker and musician known as the “Whittlin’ Fiddler” and “Stradivarius of the Ozarks,” has died at the age of 109.
Hensley died Friday, August 7, 2026, in Yellville. Funeral arrangements were pending through Roller-Burns Funeral Home when her death was announced.
Her passing closes an extraordinary chapter in Arkansas and Ozark cultural history.
Hensley was born October 21, 1916, near Mount Ida in Montgomery County. She was the daughter of George Washington Brumley and Nora Springer Brumley.
Her father was a musician and craftsman who had made his first fiddle in 1888. Hensley learned to play the fiddle and build the instrument by carefully observing his traditional methods.
At age 15, she began making her first fiddle. She used a hatchet to split the wood and worked with hand planes, homemade curved knives and other traditional tools.
Hensley completed 4 fiddles between 1932 and 1934. She later married Adren Hensley and devoted much of the next several decades to raising their 9 children.
After spending 27 years away from public music-making, Hensley resumed crafting fiddles in 1961. Her return to the tradition eventually brought her regional, national and international recognition.
Her public career accelerated during the 1960s. Folk musician Jimmy Driftwood recognized her talent and invited her to perform in Mountain View, helping introduce her music and craftsmanship to larger audiences.
Hensley and her family moved to Yellville in 1968. Her home workshop became the center of a lifelong effort to preserve the art of making fiddles by hand.
She constructed instruments using native wood and experimented with approximately 100 varieties. Her preferred materials included wild cherry and maple for the back, sides and neck; spruce, pine and buckeye for the top; dogwood for the tailpiece; and persimmon for the pegs.
The Encyclopedia of Arkansas reports that she resumed fiddle-making in 1961 and completed 69 additional instruments after returning to the craft.
Hensley became a beloved presence at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, where she spent more than 50 years demonstrating fiddle making, playing music and sharing Ozark stories with visitors.
Silver Dollar City remembered Hensley as the heart of an Ozarks tradition that connected generations through music, craftsmanship, kindness and family.
MOUNTAIN VIEW AND OZARK FOLK CENTER LEGACY
Hensley also formed a lasting connection with Mountain View and the Ozark Folk Center State Park.
She performed at the Folk Center multiple times, sharing traditional fiddle music and demonstrating the cultural heritage she had preserved throughout her life.
Hensley appeared in a popular concert series with fellow fiddler and close friend Betse Ellis. The 2 musicians were separated by generations but became close friends through their shared love of traditional music.
Their performances helped introduce new audiences to old-time fiddle playing while demonstrating how traditional music can be handed from one generation to another.
In 2015, Hensley performed at the Ozark Folk Center with Betse Ellis and Clarke Wyatt, receiving a standing ovation. Their musical friendship was also featured by PBS and Kansas City PBS.
NATIONAL TELEVISION AND MEDIA APPEARANCES
Hensley’s talent and personality made her a nationally recognized representative of Ozark culture.
She appeared on “The Beverly Hillbillies” in 1969 when the television program filmed episodes at Silver Dollar City. She developed a friendship with Irene Ryan, who portrayed Granny on the program.
Her additional television appearances included “The Art Linkletter Show” in 1970, “Captain Kangaroo” in 1977, “To Tell the Truth,” “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee” and “CBS Evening News.”
She was also featured by Charles Kuralt in his “On the Road” series and appeared at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
Her work appeared in National Geographic in 1970. She was later featured in Mature Living, Country Woman and other publications.
GRAND OLE OPRY AND NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Hensley made her Grand Ole Opry debut in 2016 at age 99.
On April 14, 2018, she made her third Grand Ole Opry appearance and performed “Faded Love.”
Hensley was inducted into the National Fiddler Hall of Fame on March 30, 2018, when she was 101 years old.
In 2004, the Arkansas Arts Council designated Hensley as an Arkansas Living Treasure. The honor recognized her artistic excellence and lifelong work to preserve and advance the traditional craft of fiddle making.
She published her autobiography, “Whittlin’ and Fiddlin’ My Own Way: The Violet Hensley Story,” with co-author Randall Franks in 2014.
Hensley also recorded music with her family, beginning with “Old Time Fiddle Tunes” in 1974.
Although declining eyesight eventually prevented her from constructing complete fiddles, she continued working on less intricate pieces and teaching others to make and play the instruments.
In 2025, the City of Leslie proclaimed Violet Hensley Day and presented her with a Key to the City in recognition of her role in preserving traditional Ozark music and craftsmanship.
LEGACY
Violet Hensley’s life connected modern audiences with an Arkansas tradition dating to the 19th century.
She preserved more than the physical process of carving an instrument. Through her performances, lessons, interviews and demonstrations, she passed along the stories, music and values associated with Ozark life.
Her influence extended from her Yellville workshop to Mountain View, Silver Dollar City, Washington, D.C., national television and the Grand Ole Opry.
Hensley remained a teacher, musician, storyteller and cultural ambassador throughout her long life.
She is remembered as an Arkansas Living Treasure, a National Fiddler Hall of Fame inductee and one of the country’s most respected traditional fiddle makers.
Funeral arrangements are pending through Roller-Burns Funeral Home.
QUICK FACTS
Full Name: Violet Brumley Hensley
Born: October 21, 1916
Birthplace: Near Mount Ida, Arkansas
Died: August 7, 2026
Age: 109
Home: Yellville, Arkansas
Known As: The Whittlin’ Fiddler, Stradivarius of the Ozarks and Fiddle Maker
Arkansas Living Treasure: 2004
National Fiddler Hall of Fame: 2018
Grand Ole Opry Debut: 2016 at age 99
Children: 9
Fiddle Making Resumed: 1961
Autobiography: “Whittlin’ and Fiddlin’ My Own Way”
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