Within the world of show business, there is no one more legendary than Barbra Streisand. Streisand is one of the very few artists who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award (also known as the EGOT). She is really talented in all areas of the entertainment industry.
She began her career in the 1960s by acting in nightclubs and on Broadway. She immediately made the move to cinema and received the Academy Award for Best Actress for her depiction of the legendary Fanny Brice in the film “Funny Girl” in 1968. She continued to be successful in the music industry as well as in Hollywood, even going so far as to earn a second Oscar for her work as a composer on the 1976 adaptation of “A Star Is Born.”
Her romantic relationships are a part of her life that are not as visible to the general public as her professional life is. She was married to actor Elliot Gould for a good portion of the 1960s, and the pair is the parents of actor Jason Gould, who is also an actor. Streisand and Jason even had a scene together in “The Prince of Tides” in which they played a mother and son.
Streisand went on to have a handful of more relationships over the following couple of decades with persons such as Don Johnson, Richard Gere, and Andre Agassi after she divorced Gould in the early 1970s. These relationships spanned the next couple of decades. On the other hand, on July 1, 1998, she tied the knot with the guy who would go on to become her partner of many years. Since then, the couple has been living together as husband and wife, and in 2023, they will commemorate their 25th anniversary of being married. Streisand and her husband, the actor James Brolin, enjoy a lovely life together and have continued to prove that some Hollywood marriages can endure the test of time. Streisand is known for her work in the film and television industries.
When Barbra Streisand published her autobiography “My Name Is Barbra” on November 7, 2023, she and Josh Brolin sat down for an interview with Gayle King of CBS to discuss their relationship and marriage. During the course of the conversation, they divulged a naughty little secret that had been keeping them apart in the past. Continue reading to see what it is!
Barbara Joan Streisand, better known by her stage name Barbra Streisand, was born on April 24, 1942 in the borough of Brooklyn, New York, in the United States. Her mother, Diana Ida, had at one point pondered pursuing a career in music, while her father was an educator at a high school. She is their daughter. It was at the school where he worked that he first became acquainted with Ida, who was employed there as a secretary.
The tragic passing of Streisand’s father at such a tender age was brought on by the fact that he suffered from epilepsy and went suddenly only a few months after his daughter’s first birthday. The death was a blow to the whole family, and Streisand was forced to carry the burden of her grief for many years to come. This was particularly true as she realized the significance of not having a father like many of her peers had at the time.
Later on, in the year 1950, Streisand’s mother remarried a guy whose name was Louis Kind. In addition to the elder brother she already had called Sheldon, the marriage also resulted in the birth of a half-sister named vocalist Roslyn Kind.
Streisand’s childhood was filled with high aspirations and ambitions. She had the dream of becoming a well-known figure someday. Streisand wanted to get away from Brooklyn and possibly relocate to a place where she could create something of herself. While many people would appreciate the hustle and bustle of New York, Streisand wanted to build something of herself. Because she had such a lovely voice from a young age, everyone in the community knew her as the young lady who could sing.
Her first performance was at a PTA meeting, which is a far cry from the fact that now Barbra Streisand has a talent that is recognized all over the globe. Streisand’s origins were incredibly modest. She went on to sing at weddings and summer camps and gradually began to work toward finding a way to turn her musical skill into a more professional endeavor. Her gift was music.
Streisand created a demo cassette consisting of four songs when she was 13 years old with the assistance of her mother, who was both critical and more encouraging. Despite the fact that she possessed incredible skill as a vocalist, Streisand always wanted to work in the theater. When she was only 14 years old, she went to see her first Broadway play, which was titled “The Diary of Anne Frank,” and from that moment on, she was utterly taken with the thought of having a career in acting. She immersed herself in the art and studied everything related to acting, including plays, stage actresses, and acting theory. Streisand became a legend in the industry.
However, in an interview with NPR in 2003, Streisand said that she had never really taken vocal lessons or learned how to read music correctly. She went on to Explain:
“I never think about singing in terms of singing… Many years ago, when I was younger, I attempted to enroll in a singing class. Streisand claimed that her instructor attempted to show her how to articulate her vowels in a different way so that the sound would be carried more effectively, but Streisand maintained that she had “to sing like I would speak,” thus she quit taking voice lessons.
The aspiring young actress graduated at the top of her class from the prestigious Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn. She also became a part of the school chorus, where she sang with fellow student and choir member Neil Diamond. Later on, when both artists were at the height of their careers as vocalists, Streisand and Diamond collaborated on a song together titled “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” which was published the following year in 1978.
Streisand was able to finish high school two years early, at the age of 16, thanks to her brilliance and her strong ambition to finally pursue a career in show business full-time. After that, she wasted no time in getting back out there and started trying out for parts on a variety of New York City stages.
Streisand worked a variety of odd jobs to make ends meet while she resided in the middle of the city. She also persisted in putting out all effort she could muster in order to bring her goals and ambitions into fruition. She had always had the ambition to be an actor, but after hearing a casting director describe how they were seeking for additional talent, Barbra Streisand decided to try out for the part of a choir singer in a production of “The Sound of Music” even though she had always wanted to be an actress. She was not successful in landing the role, but she did continue to promote herself as an actor and singer after the experience. She possesses a mezzo-soprano vocal range, which gives her incredible power in the middle and upper singing registers of her voice.
Streisand, like many others, attempted to differentiate herself by changing her name. When it came to her professional career, she reportedly omitted the second “a” in her name. This information comes from CBS News. “Well, I was 18 and I wanted to be unique, but I didn’t want to change my name because that was too false,” Streisand stated. “But I did want to change my look.”
You should know that some people have speculated that you may be Joanie Sands or someone similar to that. (Joan is the name of my middle name.) And I said, “No, let’s see, it’s still ‘Barbara,’ but it’s unique.”
Streisand did not start gaining significant acting work until the 1960s. She tried out for the role of a lead singer in the musical comedy “I Can Get It for You Wholesale.” Streisand was cast in the role of the protagonist character’s secretary, and Elliott Gould was cast in that role. At the time, Gould was not very well known, and Streisand and him began to develop feelings for one another behind the scenes. They tied the knot in September 1963 and welcomed one kid into the world before deciding to end their marriage in 1971.
The artist was transitioning from a burgeoning star to a bona fide superstar just as she was starting to actually build a name for herself in her field. She started making appearances on stage and television and even began releasing songs on a professional level. Streisand capitalized on her name to launch her career, calling her first two albums “The Barbra Streisand Album” and “The Second Barbra Streisand Album.” Her theatrical performances gained her a stellar reputation, which she leveraged to launch her recording career.
In the musical “Funny Girl,” in which she played the role of Fanny Brice, Barbra Streisand astonished audiences with her rendition of “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” Streisand gained an enormous amount of popularity and notoriety very soon after the show opened, and she was even considered for a Tony Award nomination in the category of Best Leading Actress in a Musical. The play was an instant hit. She played the part again a few years later in her first feature film, “Funny Girl,” which was an adaptation of the successful play on Broadway. In 1968, as a result of her performance, Streisand was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Even though it is quite evident that everyone took Streisand’s skills and profession seriously, the emerging celebrity proceeded to show off additional facets of her personality and appeared in many screwball comedies, including “The Main Event” and “For Pete’s Sake.” She had a role in the 1976 film “A Star is Born,” for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, and she ended up winning the award for Best Original Song for the song “Evergreen,” which she co-wrote with Paul Williams.
Streisand was the first woman to direct, produce, write, and star in a major movie film, as stated in her biography. She is also the first female composer to receive an Academy Award, and she is the first recording artist to have a number one album in each of the last six decades.
In her 50s, when she was taken on a blind date with the actor and director James Brolin, Barbra Streisand at long last met the man who would become her soul mate. James is perhaps most recognized for the parts he played on the television series “Hotel” from 1983 to 1988 and “Marcus Welby, M.D.” from 1969 to 1976. In addition to that, he has been in a number of movies, such as “Skyjacked” and “Westworld.” James has been married three times over his lifetime and is the father of three children, one of them is the actor Josh Brolin.
According to People, the date did not have the same level of romance as shown in the movies. In point of fact, Streisand’s initial interaction with James consisted of making fun of James’ hair.
“I was so shy that I came into the house and I went downstairs to be with the children and play with them until I had to sit down at the table,” Streisand recounted. “We had been set up as a blind date.”
Streisand said that James had informed her that “he knew (right away)” that she was the one for him, despite the fact that it took her “a few days” to reciprocate his feelings.
James recounted that when he and Streisand first began dating, his friends at first tried to dissuade him against marrying the singer. Streisand is known for her musical career. “I heard it over, that she’s a tough one,” he remarked on The Talk. “I heard it over, that she’s a tough one.”
After dating for a total of four years, the couple finally tied the wedding on July 1, 1998. They invited all of their celebrity pals to their little wedding ceremony, which included guests such as Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Quincy Jones, and John Travolta.
People reports that Barbra Streisand performed two songs during the event, and that William James delivered a memorable speech, in which he said:
“I have no words to describe how fortunate I feel that something like this would happen to me at such a ripe old age. Every night brings a brand-new experience. It is a complete waste of time to sleep. The next time I see her will be in the morning, and I can’t wait!
On July 1, 2023, Barbra Streisand was honored with the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Woman of Leadership Award, making her just the fourth person in history to do so. During a private ceremony, Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Dwight D. Opperman Foundation Chair Julie Opperman presented her with the award. Streisand noted in the post’s title that the day has great importance for her in more than one manner, and she posted a picture of herself holding the trophy as part of a post she published to commemorate the event.
“Proud and deeply honored to receive the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Woman of Leadership award yesterday, on the day of my 25th wedding anniversary to Jim,” was how Barbra Streisand expressed her feelings in an email to her fans.
As for the key to their everlasting love, what is it exactly? James gave some important marital advise to Fox News about what he believes to be the secret to the continued success of his and Streisand’s relationship.
“I think we’re both very opposite and very good negotiators,” he stated. “I think we’re both very good negotiators.”
Later, in an interview with TMZ, James went into more detail about this and said:
“Become skilled at negotiating. There is always one of the two persons who decides to take the easy way out and say, “Aaah, I tried that.” It wasn’t successful.’ But you really must maintain your resolve.”
During times of disagreement, the actor believes that it is quite helpful to have an impartial third party engaged, whether it be “you pay the guy or a smart friend.”
“Have a mediator that the two of you feel comfortable sitting with and working things out with. He observed that it was an instant solution to the problem.
One last piece of advice that James had for couples who were planning to stick it out for the long term was to “cry together.”
Both Streisand’s professional life and, more crucially, her personal life are flourishing at the moment. Additionally, the 81-year-old woman is Josh’s grandma to his four kids. She once stated, “Do you know that I like real life better?” “I enjoy being present in real life, and I have a deep appreciation for my garden, my dogs, my husband, my son, and my ever-expanding family.”
On November 7, 2023, Streisand finally made her long-awaited memoirs and memoir available to the public. The book is 970 pages long and tells the story of Streisand’s early life while she was trying to make it in the profession and the struggles she overcome.
While Barbra Streisand is reflecting on the highs and lows of her life, Larry King of CBS Mornings spoke with the singer about the circumstances behind the end of her public performance career and the person to whom she dedicated her biography.
During the same interview, Brolin was there with Streisand to address questions on the couple’s adoring relationship as well as their marriage. People are given access to fresh secrets and given a glimpse into the artists’ life, as is the case with the majority of autobiographies.
When King questioned Streisand about why Brolin had to beg for her hand in marriage, Streisand responded by saying that she was “testing out” Brolin as a potential spouse.
When the music star was put under pressure for answers, Brolin divulged a juicy story that Streisand believed was inappropriate to discuss publicly because it was too personal.
“I had been — quite literally, it’s a wild word — but I had been celibate for three years, saying, ‘Who needs this?'” After Brolin admitted it, Streisand gave him a lighthearted rebuke, telling him that he was “not supposed to tell that.” Streisand’s admonition caused Brolin to laugh.
Brolin stated the reasoning for his decision to remain celibate by saying, “I had not had any interest in getting involved in a lousy situation.”
King was persistent in his questioning, saying, “After three years, that must have been a hell of a night then?” The charming pair said unequivocally that it was, in fact, “wild.”
Fans took to social media to offer their own experiences, many of which focused on Streisand’s refusal of both a marriage proposal and a commitment to celibacy.
Eight times, my hubby inquired of me. Young lovers from their teenage years. My gut told me that we weren’t prepared. “And we most certainly were not,” one of our users commented.
“My husband asked me twice and then I asked him to marry me lol,” another user said. “My husband is the one who asked me to marry him,”
“He had already been married twice! I can understand her reluctance. Someone praised the speaker’s intelligence.