Dill, born in
Clarksburg, Tennessee, got his start as a professional musician while working with Annie Lou Stockard as Annie Lou and Danny, a duet act who performed on the
Grand Ole Opry during the 1940s and '50s. Annie Lou and Danny Dill were made members of the Opry in the 1940s. Although Dill recorded as a solo artist, he found his greatest success as a songwriter. His 1959 tune, "
Long Black Veil", written with
Marijohn Wilkin, was top-10 country hit for
Lefty Frizzell and has become a standard recorded by many country,
folk, and
pop music musicians. Another notable Dill composition was "
Detroit City (I Wanna Go Home)", that was a hit for
Bobby Bare,
Tom Jones, and
Dean Martin. ==Selected compositions==