Marc Pruett (born 19 August 1951) is an American bluegrass banjo player and a founding member of the bluegrass band Balsam Range since 2007.

Early life and education

Pruett was born on 19 August 1951, and grew up in the Osborne Farm area of

Haywood County, North Carolina Haywood County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 62,089. The county seat and its largest community is Waynesville, North Carolina, Waynesville. Haywood ...

. He graduated from

Western Carolina University Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. The fifth oldest institution of the sixteen four-year universities in the UNC system, WCU ...

with a B.S. in Geology. At 15, his musical career started at Ghost Town, a theme park in

Maggie Valley, North Carolina Maggie Valley is a town in Haywood County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,687 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A popular tourist destination, it is home to Cataloochee Ski Area and the former Ghost Town Village, ...

, where he played banjo and bass for park visitors.

Career

In 1973, Pruett made his first recording at

Bill Monroe William Smith Monroe ( ; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the " Father of Bluegrass". The genre takes its n ...

's festival in

Bean Blossom, Indiana Beanblossom, also spelled Bean Blossom, is an unincorporated community in Jackson Township, Brown County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The town was named for the nearby Beanblossom Creek, which was in turn named for a person whose surname was ...

. Between that time and the present, Pruett has played with a number of bands, including Balsam Range, the Southern Lawmen, The Whites, Rock Springs Reunion, mountain clogging bands, and more.

Recognition

In 2010, he was granted an honorary Doctorate of Arts by

Cullowhee, North Carolina Cullowhee (
, from the North Carolina Collection website at the University of North Carolina at Chap ...

"in recognition of ismany achievements as a professional musician, and in appreciation for issupport and love of the traditional culture of the Southern Appalachian Mountains". Pruett is a 2016 winner of the North Carolina Heritage Award and has played with Ricky Skaggs, Balsam Range and the Marc Pruett Band

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pruett, Marc 1951 births Living people American bluegrass musicians People from Haywood County, North Carolina Western Carolina University alumni Country musicians from North Carolina Kentucky Thunder members