Legendary musician passes away

An Ozarks legend and a fixture at Silver Dollar City has passed away at the age of 109.

Violet Hensley was known as the Whittlin' Fiddler.  Hensley was a musician and a luthier. She was a musical legend and a friend to all who knew her.

Violet Hensley, pictured with Terry Sanders, was a fixture at SDC for many years; she died at the age of 109. (Photo from Facebook)

Born and raised in Northern Arkansas, Violet's father was a musician and taught her how to carve fiddles and make them sing.  Hensley married in 1935 and gave up her career as a luthier for many years while raising her children, before starting anew after the children were older.

Hensley's revived dual career as fiddler and a fiddle maker garnered her national attention, and she was featured in number of publications, and made many television appearances, including “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “Captain Kangaroo,” and later “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee,” the “CBS Evening News” and many others. She was featured at the Smithsonian, appeared on the Grand Ole Opry, and was inducted into the National Fiddlers' Hall of Fame.

Hensley was in her 50s when she went to work at Silver Dollar City. Through the years, Hensley's music and her stories were enjoyed by many, and multiple generations came to know and love Violet. Even in her later years, Hensley would travel to Silver Dollar City at least once annually to visit her friends and greet her fans—and could often be coaxed into playing her fiddle during her visits.

She released three albums and then published her autobiography.   

Silver Dollar City, in a prepared statement said, "For decades, Violet touched the hearts of Silver Dollar City guests and citizens through the sounds of her fiddle, the warmth of her smile and her stories. She wasn't simply one of America's most respected fiddle makers and musicians, she was the heart of an Ozarks tradition that connected generations to this special place. To know Violet was to experience genuine kindness, quiet humility and unwavering love for others and her deep, deep love for her family. Most importantly, to Silver Dollar City, she will always be a part of our family."

WRITER’S NOTE: I first met Hensley 35 years ago. Violet opened up her home to me, and as I sat at her kitchen table in Yellville, Arkansas, she played her fiddle, showed me fiddles she had made, and some she was in the process of building, and told me many unforgettable stories of her life, her family, her experiences and her music.