Whittlin' and Fiddlin' My Own Way - The Violet Hensley Story: From a Backwoods Farm to National Fame

“Whittlin’ and Fiddlin’ My Own Way” reflects nearly a century of experiences through the eyes of Silver Dollar City personality Violet Hensley. The Arkansas Living Treasure Award winner from Yellville, Arkansas learned to fiddle in 1928 and make fiddles watching her father George W. Brumley in the community of Alamo, Arkansas in 1932. She raised a family of nine with her late husband Adren Hensley while he moved the family from town to town and state to state. With the advent of the folk music revival, Violet’s blossoming musical and fiddle-making talents, caught the attention of Grammy ® winner Jimmy Driftwood and the owners of Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. She joined the crafter’s cast at Silver Dollar City in 1967, becoming part of the City’s celebrities who used radio, television, and newspapers to invite visitors to the amusement park. Sharing her talents in front of millions, she appeared at the Festival of American Folklife and on television shows such as “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “Captain Kangaroo,” and “Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee.”