Born and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Buck started performing on WORD Radio at the age of 10. He traveled to California and Texas, finally arriving in Nashville in 1959 where he joined the Bill Carlisle Show and first appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. He was a regular on "The Porter Wagoner Show", "Roy Clark Show", and "Hee Haw". Buck invented the electric Banjo and also plays the 5-string Banjo, Dobro, Steel Guitar, Mandolin, Electric Bass and Guitar. Buck is well known for his incredible performances on a variety of instruments and for singing songs, telling country tales and creating a warm rapport with his audiences.