Source: Barbara Alper / Getty
For decades, Barbara Smith or B. Smith as she was affectionately known stood as a titan for black entrepreneurship, modeling and more. When she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she, her husband Dan Gasby and daughter Dana continued to tell her story and keep her brand alive.
Sadly, B. Smith passed away on Saturday night in the family’s Long Island home. She was 70.
Gasby announced the death of the groundbreaking model, restaurant owner and lifestyle guru saying, “It is with great sadness that my daughter Dana and I announce the passing of my wife, Barbara Elaine Smith.”
Beginning as a model in the 1960s, she later signed to Wilhelmina and in 1976 became the first black woman to be featured on a cover of Mademoiselle.
Source: Albert Watson / Getty
The grind did not stop for Smith as she went on to open three of her popular B. Smith restaurants, two of which are in New York (New York City and Long Island) and a third in Washington D.C.
She grew her empire even more with the launch of B. Smith Style, a television and lifestyle show that hosted some of entertainment’s best such as Gladys Knight and more.
RELATED: Living With Alzheimer’s: B. Smith & Husband Dan Gasby Share Their Inspiring Story
The Latest:
- Win Tickets to the Ohio Black Expo Culture Fest
- Dollar General Shuts Down All Stores Across Ohio
- Members Of A Dangerous Alaskan White Supremacist Gang Get Sentenced To Life In Prison
- Children’s Tylenol shortage hits Ohio shelves
- Employee fired for refusing COVID-19 vaccine sues hospital
- Florida High School Students Threaten To Sue Florida And Gov. Ron DeSantis Over AP Studies Ban
- 5 Memphis Police Officers Who Fatally Beat Tyre Nichols Charged With Murder
- White Supremacist Who Used Ax To Attack Black Man Is Sentenced For Racist Hate Crime
- Nikole Hannah-Jones’ ‘The 1619 Project’ Is Coming To Hulu With A 6-Part Series
- Breaking: ‘Enkyboys’ Viral TikTok Dad Randy Gonzalez Passes Away At 35
- Any Day Now: Georgia DA Fani Willis Could Indict Trump Soon Over ‘The Big Lie’
B. Smith, Lifestyle Guru And Famed Style Expert Passes Away At 70 was originally published on myhoustonmajic.com