SO pulls another from its archives: July 18, 1999, to be exact, as we remember lifestyle doyenne B Smith, who passed on Saturday, February 22, 2020.

Yes, that fabulous, sophisticated, black woman seen by many viewers here in Jamaica (on cable TV) every Saturday caused a major crise de coeur in Kingston last week Wednesday, and guess what? She was in the city a mere half-a-day!

In Jamaica on a trip initiated by the Jamaica Tourist Board, to film a few more episodes of her highly rated television show as well as the Jamaica Tourist Board’s Jamaica Spice food festival, Barbara had heads turning as she stepped regally into the old world elegance of the Terra Nova Hotel.

She is five feet eight inches, a former Wilhelmina model, even more stunning in person and armed with a smile that competes strongly with brilliant sunshine. Her figure says runway, and she wears her tropical halter dress with that certain je ne sais quoi!

Her hair is held high in micro braids. B Smith is beautiful in what seems an effortless way. And, as if that’s not enough, beside her is the perfect foil, her husband of seven years, Dan Gasby, whom she met at her restaurant in New York.

The interview was perhaps complete, for why would one bother to disturb this masterpiece — a perfect Kodak moment?

As we sat in the Director’s Suite the conversation flowed easily and we spoke as if we were long-lost friends. Thanks to Jamaica’s unofficial ambassador Pat Ramsay, I was armed with a copy of B Smith’s Entertaining and Cooking For Friends (we had included B’s name on our list of speakers for the Table Talk Food Awards).

There was no moment of tension; the woman is real, funny, articulate, warm… lovely.

Her husband stayed in the room: with his beautiful skin, bald head and well-toned body he sat comfortably sipping water.

B related quickly and easily her early years in a comfortable family led by her father, a man of the cloth. Her parents were great entertainers and it was during those large family gatherings as well as the time spent in the vegetable garden that B became fascinated with the pleasure given by the taste of good food, great ambience and company. It was, however, the world of modelling that B turned to as phase one (B Smith works with five-and 10-year timetables).

Her first hairdresser — a woman who went from town to town and had her own money because she had her own business — was B’s first role model; her parents her second; and Cynthia Ivey, her modelling instructor, the third.

Barbara Smith, now in New York, became TWA’s first black ground hostess whilst attending Barbizon, this time learning to become a teacher of models. She was already, as a graduate of John Robert Powells in Pittsburgh, modelling part-time.

So how did the modelling career go? Five covers of Essence magazine; Mademoiselle cover 1976 (the bicentenial year); trips to Jamaica (she has visited Jamaica five times); and a model with the Ebony Fashion Fair Show.

B lived in Paris, Milan and Vienna and also found time to sing back-up for soul singer Freddie Jackson. By the way, the theme song for her lifestyle programme B Smith is sung by the lady herself.

With all of this she still missed her family, her friends and of course the great food. There are no prizes for guessing why and how her love affair with food and entertainment started, but all those trips overseas opened her taste buds and prepared her for the next chapter… the restaurants, her own television series and her books (the second will be launched with her own magazine — this, by the way, will be the first in history that a simultaneous launch such as this will take place).

B Smith is really excited and her beautiful, slightly slanted eyes light up as she explains “just how important the legacy, the history… the family will become in the next millennium”. Her new book, which will be launched in New York on October 26, is called B Smith — Rituals and Celebrations the New Magazine B Smith Style.

But what about B Smith the restaurateur?

B settles back in her seat, pours some more water (the beautiful skin purrs) and with the help of hubby lists the restaurants: Located on 42 and 8th Avenue is her first restaurant, opened 13 years ago in the heart of New York’s theatre district. The elegant Union Station in Washington, DC, the nation’s capital, is the second; and the casual, trendy Sag Harbor at the Hamptons, the third. B points to her husband’s trendy polo shirt which advertises Sag Harbor. “We also have a second home there,” she adds.

So was it all easy? This was not a facetious question but a natural and innocent (perhaps naive) one since B’s stress-free countenance would lead one to believe that here sits one of those famed Miller girls flitting from continent to continent opening up all of those homes and having dresses fitted at their favourite ateliers. And why not? Is that not the life we all aspire to live? And let’s not forget the lunches!

B still smiles as she tells you that “this was not an easy road to success” and her credo lies perhaps in the words “do the best you can and you will find a way”.

Well, B Smith’s third television series is almost in the can and her half-hour programme, seen in over 20 countries, is rated the number one weekend show for lifestyle. For further clarification the lady’s weekend show is rated higher than that of Martha Stewart’s. The conversation with B is over just as we were becoming “best friends”. It’s time to do lunch and then return to Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios.

There’s yet another buzz in the lobby and voices are heard remarking “she’s gorgeous”. And as she steps into the El Dorado dining room all heads turn. B smiles; after all she’s just doing the best that she can. But my guess is that she has found her way.