Dwight was born on the day after Christmas in 1929 in the town of La Crosse, in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. When his uncle passed away, he left his violin to Dwight, and a life-long love affair with the fiddle began.

At age 15, Dwight organized his own band "The Virginia Playboys." A couple of years later in 1947, they were good enough to get on the radio. Upon graduation from high school, the band was hired by the New Grape Bottling Company to do an early morning radio show in Jacksonville, Florida. They also played the Florida Hayride.

1948 found Dwight in Durham, North Carolina working on WTIK Radio with Tommie Little and The Sunrise Rangers. Tommy's bass player was his sister Cathy, who would play a major role in Dwight's life later on. He began playing with the famous Clyde Moody, and made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Feeling the need for more formal education, he entered college in Richmond in 1950-51, but continued playing music on the side, mostly with groups from Nashville.