Barbra Streisand
"I’ve been called many names like perfectionist, difficult and obsessive. I think it takes obsession, takes searching for the details for any artist to be good."
Barbra Streisand has been making waves in showbusiness for decades as a singer, actress, and director. She is one of just a handful of talented people who can claim an ‘EGOT’ – an Emmy Award, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. In other words, top accolades across television, music, film acting, and theatre.
Those awards don’t even acknowledge her other major talent – writing. Streisand has been several books, including her autobiography My Name Is Barbra, in which she goes into detail about her 60-year career and her breakout role in Funny Girl. Her other releases include The Essential Barbra Streisand, Barbra, and Barbra Streisand.
Meet Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand was born in New York City in 1942. Her mother was a soprano singer in her earlier years, but eventually became a school secretary where she met Emanuel Streisand, a teacher and her eventual husband.
Sadly, Barbra’s father passed away at just 34 following an epileptic seizure, which led the family into years of near poverty. During her childhood, Barbra began discovering television and film, and knew then that she wanted to be famous.
In her late teens, Barbra entered a talent contest in Manhattan. She performed two songs to a stunned audience, who immediately went wild – after which she was invited to sing at the nightclub for several weeks. From here, her reputation slowly grew as she continued to wow audiences at nightclubs and in theatres, appearing on talk shows and eventually signing a record contract at 21.
She was just 22 when she landed the role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, and the rest is history. She has since recorded 50 studio albums, starred in numerous movies, and performed on stage around the world.
She has married twice, and famously dated a slew of high profile men, from Richard Gere and Clint Eastwood to Andre Agassi and Liam Neeson. More importantly, she has won countless honours for her work, from the National Medal of Arts to the AFI Life Achievement Award.