Barbara Elaine Smith (born August 24, 1949), known as B. Smith, is an American restaurateur, model, author, and television host.
Early life and education
B. Smith's Restaurant - Union Station, Washington DC - B. Smith's Restaurant, Union Station, Washington DC. The home of the B. Discovered vocal competition! http://www.bsmith.com/restaurant_dc_bdiscovered.php.
Smith was raised in Scottdale, Pennsylvania and attended Southmoreland High School. Her mother Florence was a maid and her father William a steelworker.
Career
Model
Smith was the second black model to be on the cover of Mademoiselle magazine in 1976, after Joli Jones was in 1969.
Restaurateur
Smith owned multiple restaurants, called B. Smith; the first opened in 1986, on Restaurant Row (Manhattan) and in Sag Harbor, Long Island, New York. She also owned a restaurant in the historic Beaux-Arts Union Station in Washington, D.C.; in September 2013, it was reported that restaurant would close. In 2014, the Sag Harbor restaurant was shuttered, followed by the Manhattan location in January, 2015.
Retailer
Smith’s interest in décor and restaurant design led to the development of her first home collection, which debuted at Bed Bath & Beyond in Spring 2001. She also launched a line of serveware in 2004. In Spring 2007, Smith debuted her first furniture collection with the La-Z-Boy company Clayton Marcus.
Stage acting
Smith accepted a role in the Off Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore for an April 27 through May 29, 2011 run with Conchata Ferrell, AnnaLynne McCord, Anne Meara, and Minka Kelly.
Television
Smith made two appearances on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, once as a model for Queen Sara's wedding dress and once giving a tour of her restaurant, B. Smith, and making raspberry custard with Fred Rogers and her head chef Henry. During the episode, she taught child viewers about the importance of washing hands and shared the excitement of using huge bowls and mixers. She has said her dream was to feed people, which began at an early age when she fed her dolls. Her half-hour television show, B. Smith With Style, aired on weekdays on BTN and Bounce TV, featuring home decor and cooking segments.
Author
B. Smith authored three books concentrating on recipes and presentation: B. Smith's Entertaining and Cooking for Friends (1995), B. Smith's Rituals and Celebrations (1999), and B. Smith Cooks Southern Style (2009). Smith and her husband released Before I Forget in early 2016, detailing their journey following her diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's. The book was written with Vanity Fair contributing editor Michael Shnayerson.
Personal life
Smith has been married twice. Her first marriage was to former HBO executive Donald Anderson.
Smith married her current husband, her business partner Clarence "Dan" Gasby, in 1992 at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Manhattan. He was the executive producer of the Essence Awards and the senior vice president of marketing at Camelot Entertainment Sales Inc. Smith has no children but is stepmother to Gasby's daughter Dana.
Smith lives in Sag Harbor, New York. She previously lived on Central Park South and had a second apartment she used as an office.
In June 2014, Smith revealed that she had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, stating that she came out with the information to counter the stigma associated with the disease.
In November 2014, Smith's husband Dan Gasby reported her missing from Southampton, New York. She was reportedly found the next day in New York City near one of her former residences.
References
External links
- Official website
See also
- Bea Smith, a fictional protagonist of:
- Prisoner (TV series) (also known as Caged Women in Canada and as Prisoner: Cell Block H in Britain and the United States)
- Prisoner spin-offs, remakes, and specials
