Barbra Streisand made her film debut with the 1968 film Funny Girl and in the years to come, vowed audiences with her roles in important films like The Way We Were and A Star Is Born. These films certainly established her as a major movie star, but to most of us, Barbra Streisand will forever be the greatest popular singer of her generation. Over the years, her political activism and her uninhibitedness have established her as one of the powerful women in show business. In this video, we tell you some interesting facts about Barbra Streisand.
Barbra Streisand Isn’t Her Original Name
When Barbara was still making her mark as a cabaret singer, someone advised her to change her name to make it more unique. Barbara’s middle name is Joan, and therefore, options like Joanie Sands, which plays with her middle name suggest to her. Some people suggested getting rid of her last name as it was too difficult to pronounce.
Barbara hates her name but knows that changing it would mean being dishonest to herself. In the end, she came up with the idea of dropping the middle ‘a’ from Barbara, which made her new name, Barbra. This new name sounded like her original name but was unique too. Though this was a small incident, it proved to everyone who managed her or was working with her that Barbara Streisand was a rebel, unwilling to go with the ways of the world.
Her Big Debut Happened During a Parent-Teacher Association Meeting
Streisand attended Yeshiva, the Jewish Orthodox school in Brooklyn. Barbra considers a bright student and by the time she had turned six or seven, she had already become popular for her beautiful singing voice. She would often sit in front of her apartment or building and sing for hours, which attracted the attention of people in the neighborhood.
Barbra, however, delivered her first singing performance during a PTA assembly, and while everyone loved her voice and talent, Barbra’s mother was critical of it. Actually, some believe that Barbra’s mother was a singer herself, and watching her daughter perform so brilliantly made her jealous, which is why she was hypercritical of Barbara.
By the time, Barbara is 9, she calls to sing at weddings and summer camps. At 9, she also got her first audition with MGM Records. However, Barbra’s mother wouldn’t show any appreciation for her daughter’s talents and abilities for another four years.
She Was Never Your Average Child
Barbra Streisand was born with a beautiful voice and decided at an early stage that she wanted to pursue a career in acting. We all know where those plans led her — Barbra Streisand is one of the few celebrities with an EGOT. She has five number-one Billboard singles to her credit, and she has also won the highest honor in the field of Arts, the National Medal of Arts. She has sold over 250 million records and has won every single major lifetime achievement award. Barbra was also the first actor to write, direct, produce, and act in a major studio film.
We all are aware of Barbra’s great achievements. However, not many people know that Barbra was also a very brainiac child. Even after dealing with a hyper-critical mother and poverty, she managed to hold fourth place in her high school. And if that doesn’t impress you, hear this: Barbra attended two different acting schools and worked as a babysitter to pay for one of them and bagged a scholarship to pay for the other.
Barbra was different from the very beginning. She was smart and assertive, qualities that reflected well in her choice of men as well as her openness about her dating life. Over the years, Barbra Streisand has enjoyed numerous high-profile relationships, and her love life has been nothing short of enviable. Are you interested in knowing who all has Barbra Streisand dated? If yes, stay tuned, we will tell you all about Barbra Streisand’s dating life in just a short while. Meanwhile, if you are enjoying this video, do not forget to like and subscribe to our channel.
Judy Garland Gave Her the Most Important Advice of Her Career
In 1963, Barbra released her first album, The Barbra Streisand Album, which was a big hit. To promote this album, she made an appearance on The Judy Garland Show. This was a time when Judy was 41 and at the peak of her career. Barbra, on the other hand, had just begun to do television. The two performed together and Judy did not hesitate once in calling Barbra one of the last few incredible belters. After the show ended, Judy Garland gave Barbra Streisand a piece of advice that the latter would take very seriously and which would help her build her career in the right direction. Judy told Barbra: do not let these people do to you what they did to me.
Barbra, who was already a bit of a rebel and a very strong-minded woman, took Judy’s words to her heart and never let the Hollywood biggies bully her into doing things she didn’t want to do. Case in point, someone once asked her to go under the knife and get her nose changed. This was a time when most Hollywood actresses took the help of plastic surgery to enhance their features. Barbara, however, declined.
She Struggled with Stage Fright for a Considerable Part of Her Life
Given that Barbra Streisand is one of the best selling recording artists of all time, most people would assume that she would be her most comfortable on stage, performing in front of her loyal followers and fans. However, not many people know that Barbara struggled with stage fright for a very long period in her life.
In 1967, while performing in Central Park in front of a crowd of 1,50,000 people, she forgot her lyrics. The incident was unforgettable for Barbra, who in a bid to cope with her stage fright entered into the habit of singing the same song differently every time. The famous Broadway director, Arthur Laurents, who was unaware of Barbra’s stage fright scolded her and told her that she was too undisciplined to make a successful singing star. Arthur Laurent passed away in 2011 and before his death, Barbra asked her if he could finally understand why she never sang the same song the same way twice. He said, he did.
Here’s another thing you probably didn’t know about the star: though Barbra was ambitious, she always kept her own personal happiness above everything else. In an interview given a few years ago, Barbra answered why she passed the opportunity to become a part of career-changing projects like Klute and Julia. Her answer was simple — she was enjoying great love affairs at the time these projects were offered to her and therefore, she didn’t want to compromise her personal happiness and become a part of them.
She Has Had an Enviable Dating Life
Normally, it’s the famous men in Hollywood who enjoy an active dating life and are known for their high-profile lovers. However, Barbra Streisand can give most of these A-lister men a run for their own money. She has dated several world-famous men and has never shied away from talking about her personal life.
Streisand married her first husband, the handsome actor Elliot Gould in 1963. The couple has a son together and they separated in 1971, after eight years of marriage. While her divorce was being finalized, Streisand entered into a relationship with Pierre Trudeau, the then-Canadian Prime Minister. It is believed that Trudeau was head over heels in love with Streisand and even asked her hand in marriage, though she declined, which led the couple to break apart. During the 70s, Streisand maintained a steady relationship with producer Jon Peters. After their breakup, during the early 80s, Streisand entered into a relationship with Baskin and Robbins heir, Richard Baskin.
Barbra Streisand And Richard Baskin
However, before entering into a relationship with Richard Baskin, Streisand had enjoyed a brief affair with Richard Gere. Towards the end of the decade, Streisand entered into a relationship with handsome Clint Eastwood. However, the two separated rather quickly. In 1992, Barbra began dating Andre Agassi. Their relationship provided enough fooder for the tabloids as Barbra was 28 years Andre’s senior. However, Andre was crazy about her and even called her hot lava. Barbra married actor, producer, and director James Brolin in 1998 and the couple has been going strong since then.
Other than all the names mentioned above, rumors exist that Barbra has also enjoyed amorous relationships with Liam Neeson, Dodi Fayed, Prince Charles, Bill Clinton, Jon Voight, and Peter Jennings.
So, were you aware of these lesser-known facts about Barbra Streisand? Did you learn something new about your favorite singer from this video? Are there are any more interesting facts that you would like to add to this list? If yes, please leave a comment. Meanwhile, if you enjoy Facts Verse videos, do not forget to like and subscribe to our channel and press the bell icon to stay updated on all our latest videos.
