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H. 5341

STATUS INFORMATION

Concurrent Resolution
Sponsors: Rep. Horne
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\24775ab16.docx

Introduced in the House on May 18, 2016
Introduced in the Senate on May 18, 2016
Adopted by the General Assembly on May 18, 2016

Summary: B. Smith

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   5/18/2016  House   Introduced, adopted, sent to Senate 
                        (House Journal-page 53)
   5/18/2016  Senate  Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence 
                        (Senate Journal-page 12)

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

5/18/2016

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR B. SMITH, RESTAURATEUR, MAGAZINE PUBLISHER, CELEBRITY CHEF, AND NATIONALLY KNOWN LIFESTYLE MAVEN; AND HER HUSBAND, DAN GASBY, TELEVISION MEDIA SALES EXECUTIVE, TELEVISION PRODUCER, AND COFOUNDER OF THE B. SMITH RETAIL BRAND, FOR THEIR PROFOUND WORK ENTITLED BEFORE I FORGET.

Whereas, a native of Pennsylvania, B. Smith began her career as a fashion model, gracing the covers of fifteen magazines and in 1976 the first African-American woman on Mademoiselle's cover; and

Whereas, for years Ms. Smith hosted the nationally syndicated/cable television show B. Smith with Style that aired on NBC stations in households across the country and forty foreign nations; and

Whereas, her first home collection, B. Smith with Style Home Collection, debuted at Bed Bath & Beyond in 2001, the first line by an African-American woman to be sold at a nationwide retailer, and she pioneered a transcultural lifestyle with her signature "Afrasian" design concept, merging African and Asian elements; and

Whereas, in 2012, Ms. Smith was inducted into the American Chef Corps, part of the United States Department of State's newly-formed Diplomatic Culinary Partnership with the James Beard Foundation, and she was honored with a 2012 Silver Spoon Award for sterling performance by Food Arts magazine. Until recently, she ran three highly successful B. Smith restaurants; and

Whereas, she has authored three home-entertaining books: B. Smith's Entertaining and Cooking for Friends; B. Smith: Rituals and Celebration, one of Food & Wine magazine's best cookbooks of 1999 and an American Library Association Black Caucus Literary Award winner; and B. Smith Cooks Southern-Style. She has garnered multiple awards across a wide range of fields; and

Whereas, in 1977, her husband, Dan Gasby, began a successful TV sales and production career in Tennessee. In 1985, he became an account executive with a division of KingWorld Entertainment over accounts for Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, and the Oprah Winfrey Show, the most successful shows in TV syndication; and

Whereas, in 1989, he created and coproduced Big Break, a musical variety show hosted by Natalie Cole, a forerunner to American Idol. He produced the first televised Essence Awards in 1992, and served as executive producer for the 25th Anniversary Essence Awards celebration in 1995; and

Whereas, when Dan Gasby married B. Smith, they began a remarkable collaboration. He was her partner and producer for B. Smith magazines, television shows, restaurants, and books, and he served as majordomo for the restaurants, moving from one to the next and helping his wife to charm the delighted guests; and

Whereas, B. Smith now has a title she never expected to add to her illustrious résumé: that of an Alzheimer's patient, after having been diagnosed with the disease in 2013 at the age of sixty-four. Dan Gasby adds to his impressive credentials that of an Alzheimer's caregiver, and now, after closing the restaurants due to her early onset Alzheimer's, he works full time as a spokesman for Alzheimer's awareness. They both devote themselves tirelessly to raising awareness of the disease and its effects on the African-American community in particular; and

Whereas, they are not alone because every sixty-seven seconds someone newly develops Alzheimer's, and millions of lives are affected by the aftershocks of the diagnosis; and

Whereas, published in January 2016, Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help, and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer's, discusses their unfolding story with transparency and practical, helpful advice about dealing with Alzheimer's day-to-day challenges; and

Whereas, the South Carolina General Assembly celebrates the remarkable lives and careers of B. Smith and Dan Gasby, and the members are grateful for their profound and meaningful work in Alzheimer's awareness. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the General Assembly, by this resolution, recognize and honor B. Smith, restaurateur, magazine publisher, celebrity chef, and nationally known lifestyle maven, and her husband, Dan Gasby, television media sales executive, television producer, and cofounder of the B. Smith retail brand, for their profound work entitled Before I Forget.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to B. Smith and Dan Gasby.

This web page was last updated on May 26, 2016 at 1:33 PM