FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 19, 2005

CONTACT: Nicole Nordbye, (605) 773-3301 or nicole.nordbye@state.sd.us

CMT Special Features South Dakota

PIERRE, S.D. – A concert country music stars Big and Rich performed on Deadwood’s historic Main Street is featured in a special airing on Country Music Television (CMT). “Wanted: Big and Rich – Alive in Deadwood” premieres Saturday, Oct. 22 at 9 p.m. (CT). The special features Big and Rich’s concert performed during Deadwood’s annual Wild Bill Hickok Days in June. It will also show the duo at several historic landmarks in the Black Hills including Mount Rushmore.

The state of South Dakota partnered with the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau to bring Big and Rich to South Dakota to perform the free concert. Promotional support by the South Dakota Office of Tourism brought attention to the free concert as attendance reached more than 50,000. 

“Bringing in a top name act like Big and Rich to perform a free concert was an incredible opportunity for South Dakota and the Black Hills,” said James D. Hagen, secretary of the Department of Tourism and State Development. “South Dakota is garnering national exposure from this event. Viewers of CMT will see many of the unique destinations South Dakota offers.”

“CMT has more than 76 million viewers who fit similar demographic profiles that South Dakota Tourism targets in our marketing campaigns,” said Billie Jo Waara, director of the South Dakota Office of Tourism. “The Big and Rich special could air as many as 15 times, each time promoting South Dakota to potential visitors.”

“Big” Kenny Alphin and John Rich make up the duo of Big and Rich. They released their first album, “Horse of a Different Color” in 2004. Their second album, “Comin’ to Your City” is scheduled to be released Nov. 15 and includes a song titled, “Eighth of November” which the duo wrote about a Deadwood resident. 

Wild Bill Hickok Days was designated a “Great Event” by the South Dakota Office of Tourism. The Office of Tourism provided assistance to event coordinators and supported promotional efforts in order to boost visitor spending and to increase the economic impact in the community. The Great Events campaign is one component of the 2010 Initiative, which includes doubling visitor spending to $1.2 billion by 2010.

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