The Pruitt Twins were American identical twin brothers, who provided both guitar and banjo accompaniment on a number of

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

recordings made in the 1920s. Both musicians were proficient in playing either instrument. According to researchers Bob Eagle and Eric S. LeBlanc, they were Millus David Pruett and Myles Pennington Pruett, who were both born on April 19, 1894, in

Bentonville, Arkansas Bentonville is a city in and the county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The city is centrally located in the county with Rogers, Arkansas, Rogers adjacent to the east. The city proper had a population of 54,164 at the 2020 Unite ...

, and grew up in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

. Myles Pruett, at least, lived in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

in 1917 before returning to Kansas City, and by 1930 both brothers were living in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

. Myles Pruett was married and living in Kansas City in 1933, and was in the same city in 1940.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

noted in relation to Myles Pruitt that his "... solid guitar work accompanied Kimbrough throughout her career and provided an excellent complement to her vocal style". On Kimbrough's first recording made in March 1924 in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Illinois, the pair got equal billing on the record label with Kimbrough (who was known as Lottie Beaman at that time); their surname was spelled as Pruett. According to

Frank Driggs Frank Driggs (January 29, 1930 – September 20, 2011) was an American record producer for Columbia Records and a jazz historian and author, known as well for his collection of over 100,000 pieces of jazz music memorabilia including photograp ...

and Chuck Haddix in their history of Kansas City jazz, "Myles's steady rhythm guitar and Millus's banjo frills embellish Beaman's otherwise plain vocal delivery. Dazzled by the twins' virtuosity, the producer for

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

pressed them into service for two additional sessions accompanying

Ida Cox Ida M. Cox ( Prather; February 26, 1888 or 1896 – November 10, 1967) was an American singer and vaudeville performer, best known for her blues performances and recordings. She was billed as "The Uncrowned Queen of the Blues".Harrison, Daphne Du ...

and

Ma Rainey Gertrude "Ma" Rainey ( Pridgett; April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939) was an American blues singer and influential early-blues recording artist. Dubbed the " Mother of the Blues", she bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of ...

." The twins supplied accompaniment on four tracks recorded by Ma Rainey in 1924. When "Lost Wandering Blues" and "Dream Blues" were issued on a 10-inch

shellac disc A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The g ...

78rpm single, the record label featured a picture of Rainey, which Paramount claimed was the first time that an image of an artist had appeared on a record label. The label also stated that Rainey was "with two guitar accompaniment by the Pruit Twins" , although most blues scholars agree it was played on a guitar and banjo. They also worked with

, providing musical support on two sides she recorded in 1924 for

Paramount Records Paramount Records was an American record label known for its recordings of jazz and blues in the 1920s and early 1930s, including such artists as Ma Rainey, Tommy Johnson (guitarist), Tommy Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson. Early years Paramoun ...

. By 1928, when Lottie Kimbrough was recording for

Gennett Records Gennett Records () was an American record company and label in Richmond, Indiana, United States, which flourished in the 1920s and produced the Gennett, Starr, Champion, Superior, and Van Speaking labels. The company also produced some Supertone, ...

, Myles Pruitt alone, without the assistance of his twin, probably supplied the guitar backing. According to Social Security records, Millus David Pruett died on October 13, 1957, at the age of 63.U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, SSN:513052623 No information is available on the death of his brother Myles.

Discography

§ = Probably, although detailed information was often lacking at that time
≠ - Re-recorded in 1929

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pruitt Twins 1894 births 1957 deaths American identical twins Twin musical duos American musical duos American male musical duos American blues guitarists American banjoists Musicians from Kansas City, Missouri People from Bentonville, Arkansas Paramount Records artists Gennett Records artists