Barbra Streisand biography

She attributes the phobia to a concert in New York's Central Park in 1967, during which she forgot the lyrics to one of her songs.

Streisand made her major debut in the Broadway show, I Can Get it For You Wholesale in 1962. She won the New York Drama Critics Award and received a Tony nomination for her performance; the cast album for that show was her first studio recording. Streisand signed with Columbia Records that same year and released her first album,

The Barbra Streisand Album in 1963. It became a Top 10 gold record and received two Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. At the time, she was the youngest artist to receive the honor.

Despite three successful albums by early 1964, Streisand chose Broadway performances over live concerts. She appeared in the show Funny Girl for more than two years, which earned her a Tony Award nomination. The song "People" from that show became Streisand's first Top 10 single.

Television and Movie Star

In 1965, Streisand turned to television with My Name is Barbra. The show received five Emmy Awards, and CBS Television awarded Streisand a 10-year contract to produce and star in more TV specials. Streisand was given complete artistic control of the next four network productions.

Streisand reprised her role in Funny Girl in 1966 in London at the Prince of Wales Theater. Two years later she made her big-screen debut in the film version of the play. In addition to winning the 1968 Academy Award for her performance, she won a Golden Globe and was named "Star of the Year " by the National Association of Theater Owners.

After appearing in the films Hello, Dolly! (1969) and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970), Streisand starred in the non-musical comedy, The Owl and the Pussycat (1970). The year 1972 brought another comedy, What's Up Doc? The same year Streisand founded her own production company, Barwood Films, and starred in the company's first project, Up the Sandbox. The film became one of the first American movies to deal with the growing women's movement.

In the 1970s, Barbra Streisand successfully married her film and musical interests; first with the hit film The Way We Were, which featured her first No. 1 single and earned her a 1973 Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In 1976 came A Star is Born, a film that Streisand produced. The project won six Golden Globes and offered Streisand her second No. 1 single, "Evergreen."

Decades of Success

In the late 1970s, Streisand collaborated with former high school choir mate Neil Diamond on the song, "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." The single went to No. 1, as did "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)," a dance record sung with Donna Summer. But Streisand had her biggest-selling album in 1980 with Guilty, which was written and produced by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees and contained the No. 1 hit, "Woman in Love."

Though she read Isaac Bashevis Singer's short story, "Yentl, The Yeshiva Boy" shortly after her first film in 1968, it was only after 15 years of perseverance that Streisand was able to bring the story to screen.