Carolina Girl from Smithfield
There is a song about Carolina Girls. My husband said he heard it long before arriving in Carolina. When you are born and raised in Carolina, you grew up hearing the song by General Johnson. It goes like this. Carolina Girls, best in the world.
CAROLINA GIRLS
YOU’RE SO FINE GIRL, YOU’RE ONE OF A KIND SWEET CAROLINA GIRLS
CAROLINA GIRLS ,SWEET SOUTHERN PEARLS
YOU’RE SURE ENOUGH TUFF GIRL, I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF SWEET CAROLINA GIRLS
I LOVE THE WAY YOU WALK. I LOVE THE WAY YOU TALK. YOU’RE SO FINE GIRL, YOU’RE ONE OF A KIND SWEET CAROLINA GIRLS
CALIFORNIA GIRLS ARE s Y AND NEW YORK GIRLS ARE TOO
BUT CAROLINA GIRLS GOT GOOD LOOKS AND SWEET PERSONALITY TOO
CAROLINA GIRLS ,SWEET SOUTHERN PEARLS
YOU’RE SO FINE GIRL, YOU’RE ONE OF A KIND SWEET CAROLINA GIRLS , Sweet Carolina Girls
And a Carolina Girl is all that. If you happen to be traveling through Carolina, you want to visit Smithfield NC. Not only is it the home of great BBQ and a new brewery, but it is the birthplace of Ava Lavinia Gardner. If you are 50 and older reading this post, you know Ava Gardner. If not, her story is a larger than life story. She was born in Grabtown NC, about eight miles from Smithfield. Grabtown is just a crossroads in Carolina. She grew up Baptist and family oriented. Her family owned a sawmill and a farm.
In the summer of 1940, Ava was allowed to visit her married sister Beatrice in New York City, and the trip altered her life. Struck by his sister-in-law’s unspoiled beauty, Beatrice’s husband, commercial photographer Larry Tarr, persuaded her to pose for a series of portraits. After he placed one shot in the window of his studio, it was spotted by a messenger from MGM who presented himself as a talent scout. Tarr saw through the ruse, but he eventually sent another group of photos to the talent office at Metro. Her life soon belonged to the movies and MGM. Her story of Carolina Girl to the most beautiful woman of that time has been told and written many times over. While her career took her all over the world and she lived away in Europe for 30 plus years, her roots remained in North Carolina. Her wish was to be laid to rest in her hometown at death and the ceremony be private. In keeping her legacy alive, a museum dedicated to her was established in Smithfield, NC.
When you visit in Smithfield, be sure to stop by the Double Barley Brewing also. It is a great tap room and before leaving grab a plate of bbq and slaw. Don’t forget the homemade chocolate pie. “It hits the spot.”