I spend quite a bit of time writing blogs about the famous history and well-known sites of the Black Hills. But other than grand monuments and natural wonders, South Dakota has produced a good number of famous people, too.  So today, I’ve decided to give a more human face, other than those carved on Mount Rushmore, to the Black Hills.
Here is a brief description of just a few of the famed residents of the area….

Williams and Ree:  One of America’s favorite music and comedy duos often referred to as “The Indian and the White Guy.”  Since meeting at Black Hills State University in 1968 (Then called Black Hills State College), the duo has shared the stage with Garth Brooks, The Oak Ridge Boys and Tim McGraw.

Catherine Bach:  So, technically, she was born in Ohio, but spent a good portion of her teen years in Faith and Rapid City.  Most people probably remember her as ‘Daisy Duke’ from “The Dukes of Hazzard.” She became a national icon shortly after. (Icon might be an understatement, as over 5 million posters of her were sold, outdoing Farah Fawcett and Suzanne Somers).

Dorothy Provine:  This Deadwood native thrived during the late 1950’s and 60’s.  She’s probably best known for her role as ‘Pinky Pinkham’ from the adventure series “The Roaring 20’s.”  She also appeared in “It’s a Mad, Mad World” and had worked with Dick Van Dyke.

Jess Thomas:  A famed opera singer from Hot Springs.  He performed at locations throughout North America and Europe.  Throughout his career (from the late 1950’s to the early 1980’s), he was a member of the San Francisco Opera, the Metropolitan Opera and the Munich Festival, to name only a few.

Russell Means:  An early leader in the American Indian Movement from the Pine Ridge Reservation, who you may remember making the national news when he lead a 71-day takeover at the sacred grounds at Wounded Knee in the 60’s.  Today, he is using Hollywood and the media to promote a positive image of the American Indian heritage.  You may have seen him in leading roles in “The Last of the Mohicans,” “Natural Born Killers,” the comedy “Wagons East” and as the voice of the father of Pocahontas in Disney’s “Pocahontas.”

So there you have a brief biography of a few of the stars that the Black Hills has produced.  Keep you eyes open, you’ll probably keep seeing some of them in the media.