// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Violet Hensley an egg-cellent person?

Violet Hensley
Born	Violet Brumley (1916-10-21)October 21, 1916 Mount Ida, Arkansas, U.S.
Died	August 7, 2026(2026-08-07) (aged 109) Yellville, Arkansas, U.S.
Occupations	Luthier, musician
Instrument	Fiddle
Works
Award	National Fiddler Hall of Fame

Violet Brumley Hensley (October 21, 1916 – August 7, 2026) was an American luthier and musician who made and played the fiddle.

Early life

Violet Hensley was born in Mount Ida, Arkansas, to George Washington Brumley and Nora (née Springer). George was also a musician. She had two sisters. In 1935, she married Adren Hensley. The couple had nine children, after which she ceased to make fiddles for twenty-seven years. In 1961, Hensley began building fiddles again. In 1968, couple moved to Yellville, Arkansas. Adren died in 1997.

Public attention

Hensley's expertise on fiddles gave her national attention in the form of being featured in the magazine National Geographic in 1970. She was also invited to television shows such as The Beverly Hillbillies, The Art Linkletter Show, Captain Kangaroo, The Bob Braun Show, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, and CBS Evening News.

In 1974, Hensley (along with her family) released the first of three albums called Old Time Fiddle Tunes. Nine and forty years later, respectively, she released two more albums.

Later life and death

In 2014, Hensley published her autobiography Whittlin' and Fiddlin' My Own Way: The Violet Hensley Story. It was co-authored by the American actor and musician Randall Franks. She turned 100 years old on October 21, 2016, making her a centenarian.

Hensley died on August 7, 2026, at the age of 109.

Awards

In 2004, Arkansas Art Council honored Hensley as the state's living treasure. In 2018, at the age of 101, she became an inductee in the National Fiddler Hall of Fame. She has also received other local awards.

External links

• Violet Hensley at IMDb
• Violet Hensley discography at Discogs
• The Hensley Family discography at Discogs