Pruett was born on 19 August 1951, and grew up in the Osborne Farm area of Haywood County, North Carolina.
At 15, his musical career started at Ghost Town, a theme park in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, where he played banjo and bass for park visitors.
[3] In 1973, Pruett made his first recording at Bill Monroe's festival in Bean Blossom, Indiana.
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.
[4][3] In 2010, he was granted an honorary Doctorate of Arts by Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina "in recognition of [his] many achievements as a professional musician, and in appreciation for [his] support and love of the traditional culture of the Southern Appalachian Mountains".