Scruggs’ mother is Nashville singer-producer Gail Davies. His grandfather, from whom he took his stage name, was noted country star Earl Scruggs. At the age of 11 he began playing guitar and two years later, now playing bass guitar, joined a punk rock band. At 14 he was living in England where he began to assemble all the many musical influences he had heard as a small child, which coalesced with the sounds he was hearing as a mid-teenager. By the time he was 15 he had returned to the USA and formed a band, the Hoptown Tigers, with a school friend in Nashville. The band played semi-professionally in Nashville and Scruggs also played with rockabilly singer Rosie Flores.

With his mother, Scruggs appeared at the Grand Ole Opry. In 2001 he joined BR5-49, first on bass and then, after Gary Bennett quit, on guitar and lead vocals. In 2003, Scruggs released the limited edition album Honky Tonkin’ Lifestyle. He remained with BR5-49 until early in 2005 when he decided to develop his solo career, leaning towards updated rockabilly.