B. Smith

Barbara Elaine Smith[2] (August 24, 1949 – February 22, 2020), professionally known as B. Smith, was an American restaurateur, model, author, businesswoman and television host.[3][4] She was born in Everson, Pennsylvania.[5]

B. Smith
BLAM BSMITH.jpg
Smith in 2016
Born
Barbara Elaine Smith

(1949-08-24)August 24, 1949
DiedFebruary 22, 2020(2020-02-22) (aged 70)
EducationSouthmoreland High School
Occupation
Years active1973–2015
Known forFirst African-American model featured on Mademoiselle magazine (1976)
Spouse(s)
Donald Anderson
(m. 1986; div. 1990)

Dan Gasby (m. 1992)
Culinary career
Cooking styleGlobal eclectic with Southern influences
Websitebsmith.com

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.

Smith appeared as herself on "Prelude to a Kiss", a 1999 episode of the sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

In 2014, Smith was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.[6] She died from the disease on February 22, 2020 at the age of 70.[7]

References

  1. "Washington DC". B. Smith official website. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  2. Weddings; Barbara Smith and Dan Gasby. December 27, 1992. https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/27/style/weddings-barbara-smith-and-dan-gasby.html. Retrieved November 26, 2014. "Barbara Elaine Smith, the owner of B. Smith's Restaurant in New York, was married on Wednesday to Daniel Gasby, the senior vice president of marketing at Camelot Entertainment Sales, Inc., a syndicator of television programs in New York.". 
  3. Reed, Julia (August 22, 1999). "Can B. Smith Be Martha?". The New York Times. https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00C13F8355D0C718EDDA10894D1494D81. Retrieved March 30, 2011. 
  4. Penrice, Ronda Racha (2007). African American History for Dummies. For Dummies. p. 223. ISBN 978-0-7645-5469-8. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  5. Smith, Jessie Carney, ed. (2006). Encyclopedia of African American Business, Volume 1. Greenwood Publishing. p. 309. ISBN 978-0-313-33110-7.
  6. Szokan, Nancy (January 22, 2016). "B. Smith on life with Alzheimer's" (in en). Newsday. https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/books/before-i-forget-review-b-smith-on-life-with-alzheimer-s-1.11353734. Retrieved February 23, 2020. 
  7. Langer, Emily (February 23, 2020) (in en). B. Smith, model turned restaurateur and lifestyle maven, dies at 70. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/b-smith-model-turned-restaurateur-and-lifestyle-maven-dies-at-70/2020/02/23/568c2066-5654-11ea-9000-f3cffee23036_story.html. Retrieved February 23, 2020.