Barbra Streisand

"Streisand" redirects here. For her tour, see Streisand (concert tour). For the phenomenon named after her, see Streisand effect.
For other uses, see Barbra Streisand (disambiguation).

Barbra Streisand
Streisand in 2018
Born
Barbara Joan Streisand

(1942-04-24) April 24, 1942 (age 82)
New York City, U.S.
EducationErasmus Hall High School
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actress
  • filmmaker
  • songwriter
WorksDiscography
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1963; div. 1971)​
  • ​
    (m. 1998)​
Partners
ChildrenJason Gould
Relatives
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Years active1960–present
LabelsColumbia
Websitebarbrastreisand.com
Signature

Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (/ˈstraɪsænd/ STRY-sand; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the first performer awarded an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony).

Streisand's career began in the early 1960s performing in nightclubs and Broadway theaters. Following guest appearances on various television shows, she signed to Columbia Records—retaining full artistic control in exchange for accepting lower pay, an arrangement that continued throughout her career.[1] Her studio debut The Barbra Streisand Album (1963) won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Throughout her recording career, Streisand has topped the US Billboard 200 chart with 11 albums (the record for a woman until 2023),[2] including People (1964), The Way We Were (1974), Guilty (1980), and The Broadway Album (1985).[3] She also topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with five singles: "The Way We Were", "Evergreen", "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (with Neil Diamond), "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" (with Donna Summer), and "Woman in Love".

Following her established recording success, Streisand ventured into film by the end of the 1960s.[4] She starred in the critically acclaimed Funny Girl (1968), winning the Academy Award for Best Actress at the 41st Academy Awards.[5] Additional fame on the big screen followed with the extravagant musical Hello, Dolly! (1969), the screwball comedy What's Up, Doc? (1972), and the romantic drama The Way We Were (1973). Streisand won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for writing the love theme from A Star Is Born (1976), the first woman to be honored as a composer.[6] With the release of Yentl (1983), Streisand became the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a major studio film.[7] The film won an Oscar for Best Original Score and a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Musical. Streisand also received the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, becoming the first (and for 37 years, the only) woman to win that award. Streisand later produced and directed The Prince of Tides (1991), and The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996).

With sales exceeding 150 million records worldwide, Streisand is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time.[8][9] According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the second-highest certified female artist in the United States, with 68.5 million certified album units.[10] Billboard ranked Streisand as the greatest solo artist on the Billboard 200 chart and the top Adult Contemporary female artist of all time.[11][12]

Her accolades span ten Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Grammy Legend Award;[13] nine Golden Globe Awards;[14] five Emmy Awards; four Peabody Awards;[15] two Academy Awards;[16] the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award;[17] and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[18]

  1. ^ Savage, Mark (August 4, 2021). "Barbra Streisand: 'I've always had the right to sing what I want'". BBC News.
  2. ^ "Taylor Swift Breaks Billboard Records With Speak Now (Taylor's Version)". July 16, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  3. ^ "Chart Watch Extra: The Acts With The Most Top 10 Albums, Ever – Chart Watch". Yahoo! Music. October 17, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2009.
  4. ^ Mhairi Graham (April 24, 2012). "Barbra Streisand: Hollywood Rebel". AnOther. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  5. ^ "Barbra Streisand's Awards". IMDb. March 2, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  6. ^ "Barbra Streisand to Sing 'The Way We Were' for the Oscars Memorial Segment". movies.broadwayworld.com. February 22, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  7. ^ Kagan, Jeremy. Directors Close Up, Scarecrow Press (2006) p. 297
  8. ^ "Eden Park CEO hints Barbra Streisand may be next after Six60 to play at Auckland stadium". The New Zealand Herald. March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  9. ^ Embley, Jochan (March 6, 2019). "Barbra Streisand to headline British Summer Time: How to get tickets for BST Hyde Park". Evening Standard. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  10. ^ "Top Selling Artists (albums)". RIAA. March 25, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  11. ^ "Greatest of All Time (Billboard 200 Artists)". Billboard. November 12, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  12. ^ "AC's Top Artists" (PDF). Billboard. July 23, 2011. p. 16. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  13. ^ "Barbra Streisand Goes Platinum for History-Making 31st Time with Partners". Broadway World. January 20, 2015.
  14. ^ "Awards Search". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  15. ^ "The Ultimate Show Biz Coup: PEGOT". The Peabody Awards. Archived from the original on February 4, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  16. ^ "Academy Awards Database". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. January 29, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  17. ^ Rosenbloom, Alli (February 24, 2024). "Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper present Barbra Streisand with SAG Life Achievement award". CNN. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  18. ^ Johnson, Ted. "Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand to Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom". Variety. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on March 23, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2015.