Barbra Streisand describes herself as an “actress who sings.” To her millions upon millions of fans worldwide, however, she is an icon. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1942, the multi-talented star has dominated virtually every facet of the entertainment industry for four decades, garnering a staggering list of Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe, Cable Ace and Peabody awards along the way. Streisand began her career as a nightclub singer and Off-Off-Broadway actress, and in 1962 landed a part in her first Broadway show, “I Can Get It For You Wholesale.” Following the success of the musical, a Columbia Records contract and her 1963 gold-selling debut, The Barbara Streisand Album (which won that year’s Album of the Year Grammy) propelled her into the national spotlight and established her as one of the foremost artists of the decade. Streisand won her first Academy Award in 1968 for her role in Funny Girl (a remake of the 1964 Broadway show for which she starred as Fanny Brice,) and continued to display her talents through a string of smash hits in the 1970s (“The Way We Were” (No. 1), “Evergreen” (No. 1), “No More Tears” (with Donna Summer) (No. 1), “You Don't Bring Me Flowers” (with Neil Diamond) (No. 1)). The 1980s proved an equally prolific decade for the star, with the release of her biggest selling album, 1980’s Guilty, and her first directorial effort, 1983’s Yentl, earning Streisand Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) and Best Director. Streisand continued to direct and record over the next ten years, and in 1993 returned to the stage for her first public concert tour in twenty-seven years, which culminated as the top grossing concert tour of the year. In 1997, Streisand released Higher Ground, followed by Christmas Memories (2001,) The Movie Album (2003,) Guilty Pleasures (2005) and her incredible duet with Tony Bennett, “Smile,” appearing on Bennett’s Duets album in 2006. Today, Barbra Streisand stands as the highest selling female recording artist of all time.
