Marc Pruett (born 19 August 1951) is an American bluegrass banjo player and a founding member of the bluegrass band
Balsam Range
Balsam Range is a bluegrass and acoustic music group founded in 2007 in Haywood County, North Carolina. They are the 2014 and 2018 International Bluegrass Music Association (IMBA) Entertainer of the Year recipients. Their other accolades include ...
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 census, the population was 62,089. The county seat and its largest city is Waynesville. Haywood County is part of the Asheville, NC Metropolitan Statistical ...
. He graduated from
Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina. 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 was founded t ...
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 1,150 at the 2010 census. A popular tourist destination, it is home to Cataloochee Ski Area and the former Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park. Maggie ...
, where he played banjo and bass for park visitors.
Career
In 1973, Pruett made his first recording at
Bill Monroe
William Smith "Bill" 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 take ...
'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 Be ...
. 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
Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina. 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 was founded t ...
"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
The North Carolina Heritage Award is an annual award given out by the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, in recognition of traditional artists from the U.S. state of North Caro ...
and has played with Ricky Skaggs, Balsam Range and the Marc Pruett Band