My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand
What's It About?
"My Name is Barbra" is candid, frank, funny and reveals warmth and charm along with the anticipated outspoken opinions. This lengthy autobiography contains glorious sections of many never-before-published color and black and white photographs illustrating family life, her remarkable career and the now familiar album covers.Who better than Barbra Streisand to write her memoir and accurately convey her inner feelings and true story? How many millions of words have been devoted to this living legend by the tabloids along with legitimate and speculative magazine articles in a career that has spanned more than six decades? I counted more than 50 biographies offered for sale on one reputable online used and rare bookseller’s website, while the giant site has more than 1000 listings in print! The vast majority is unauthorized, many written by people whom she has never met without her consent or cooperation.
My Name is Barbra (Viking) was 10 years in the making and well worth the wait allowing this superstar time to comb through her archives for semi-forgotten journals and the scrapbooks her mother maintained as well as to gather her thoughts and memories. It’s candid, frank, funny and reveals warmth and charm along with the anticipated outspoken opinions. This lengthy autobiography contains glorious sections of many never-before-published color and black and white photographs illustrating family life, her remarkable career and the now familiar album covers. I suspect this will be one of the most coveted and requested gifts during the holiday season.
Stupendous and Versatile “Actress Who Sings”
Barbra Streisand is simply stupendous, unequaled as a uniquely versatile actress who sings (her preference), recording artist, director, producer, fashion and interior designer, screenwriter, author (My Passion for Design, Viking, 2010), songwriter, Broadway star and wildly popular concert performer. She launched Barwood Films in 1972 to produce movies and television works that interested her. She unquestionably has earned Icon status in multiple entertainment fields.
Not only is she one of those rare performing artists to have earned EGOT status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) but has accumulated over 100 awards, citations, medals and honors; enough to fill several pages if individually listed as well as an enormous den. They include 11 Golden Globes, the Director’s Guild Award for her 1994 concert special, National Endowment for the Arts, Peabody, Kennedy Center Honors, American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement, Presidential Medal of Freedom as well as various humanitarian awards and several honorary doctorates. The government of France bestowed upon her the title of Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters.
For decades, she has been an advocate for civil and voting rights, women’s equality and gay rights along with other social justice, environmental, health and humanitarian issues. Barbra is a committed political activist and notable philanthropist and leading fund-raiser for causes and programs and financially supports those she believes in.
She created The Streisand Foundation in 1986 which has awarded more than 27 million dollars in grants since its inception, endowed a Chair in Cardiology at UCLA-Medical Center and later established The Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai.
While remaining a notably private and shy public figure, on occasion she emerges to deliver statements of her views. Her candid and strong opinions about issues and political candidates have created controversy and may have cost her some fans. However, as she has reminded critics, as a responsible citizen she is entitled to fully express herself. She has been accused of being a controlling, workaholic perfectionist in less than flattering terms and yet has succeeded as a director and producer at a time when there were only two women members of the Directors Guild.
In 1992, she gave a speech about gender discrimination after the Clarence Thomas hearings, in part with the following words:
“Language gives us an insight into the way women are viewed in a male-dominated society…
A man is commanding- a woman is demanding.
A man is forceful- a woman is pushy.
He’s assertive- she’s aggressive.
He strategizes- she manipulates.
He’s committed- she’s obsessed.
He’s preserving- she’s relentless.
If he acts, produces, and directs, he’s called multi-talented. If she does the same thing, she’s called vain and egotistical.”
Greatest Entertainer of All Time
Barbra Streisand is deservedly regarded as one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Her album sales are in excess of 70 million copies with 11 number-one albums in each of six decades. Her rare live concert appearances have all been sell-outs.
My Name is Barbra was published on November 7 and has already been named by The New York Times as one of the 100 most notable books of 2023. The 48-hour-long audiobook version read by the author was also an immediate best-seller.
It’s been a busy year with the release of Evergreens: Celebrating Six Decades on Columbia as a double vinyl album (also available on CD) and Yentl: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition CD with bonus demo tracks and narration. In previous years, the American Film Institute has celebrated 100 years of the greatest American-made films.
Included are four of Barbra Streisand’s songs in 100 Years…100 Songs, What’s Up Doc is included in 100 Years…100 Laughs as well as in 100 Years…100 Passions along with The Way We Were and Funny Girl which is also listed in their 25 greatest movie musicals. Funny Girl was chosen by The Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2016.
Complex Childhood Marked by Budding Talent
Barbara Joan Streisand was born in Brooklyn, NY on April 24, 1942. (She altered the spelling to Barbra when she became a professional entertainer.) Her lucky number is 24 and she was 24 years old when she gave birth to her adored only child, Jason, while married to her first husband Elliott Gould. Her father Emanuel Streisand was an intellectual, scholar and teacher who died suddenly at the age of 35 when she was 15 months old. Her mother Diana, while harboring dreams of being a professional singer, worked as a school secretary and bookkeeper. She was a jealous, harsh critic who sent her daughter copies of the worst reviews, and never displayed affection. Barbra cannot remember her mother ever hugging her or saying “I love you.”
During early childhood, they lived with her grandparents in a tiny apartment. Despite the lack of her mother’s affection, praise and minimal encouragement, My Name is Barbra is dedicated to both her parents. She remains close to her seven years older brother Sheldon and her younger half-sister Rosalyn Kind.
Barbra’s aptitude for singing was demonstrated at an early age beginning with elementary school programs. She graduated from Brooklyn’s Erasmus Hall High School as an honors student at age 16. Fellow students included Neil Diamond in the class ahead of her and classmate Bobby Fischer who had already earned a place in Chess record books at 14 and became a Grandmaster at 15. She noted he was anti-social, totally absorbed by a Mad magazine when she tried to initiate a conversation.
Accustomed to working from an early age, she babysat for restaurant owner Muriel Choy beginning at age 12 before progressing to working in the restaurant as a waitress and hostess. Muriel was one of her first mentors and served as one of her surrogate mothers.
This independent young woman soon moved out of her mother’s apartment and spent a few months couch-surfing, sometimes carrying an Army cot with her as she attended acting school, trading babysitting for lessons, and working as a switchboard operator answering the phone in a variety of accents for her own amusement.
She met her second mentor Cis Corman, the wife of psychiatrist Harvey Corman and mother of four sons, in acting school. Cis was 32, double her age, and remained a close friend and confidante until her death. The ambitious teenager auditioned for several nightclubs before landing a regular gig at The Bon Soir.
At 19, she debuted on Broadway as a supporting player in the 1962 musical comedy I Can Get It For You Wholesale stopping the show on opening night and each performance by displaying a vibrant personality with a beautiful voice whose interpretation elevated her solo song Miss Marmelstein into a humorous and poignant gem. The star of the show, Elliott Gould would soon become her boyfriend and later husband.
With energy to spare, 8 shows per week were not enough and the young actress/singer would routinely return to the Bon Soir for a midnight show. The difference was instead of a salary of $150 per week plus a meal; she was earning $1200 for the night! What an unimaginable career for someone whose first apartment was a dinky, walk-up flat with the bathtub in the kitchen to owning a sprawling Malibu estate overlooking the Pacific Ocean worth an estimated 100 million dollars!
A Star is Born
Whether it was kismet or what Ms. Streisand calls “bashert”, a star truly was born. Bashert is a Yiddish word that means “destiny” referring to fortuitous events perceived to be divinely ordained. Her distinctive mezzo-soprano vocal range with its powerful clear vibrato and the ability to sustain high notes is as unforgettable as are the theatrical talents to convey a story within each song.
Uncannily, her singing voice is truly a gift as it was always there without the benefit of formal training or the ability to read music or transcribe notes of a melody. As a songwriter, Barbra Streisand hears full compositions in her head then hums and vocalizes the melody for transcription.
After studying guitar for her role in the film remake of A Star is Born, she collaborated with songwriter-singer Paul Williams as lyricist for Evergreen which won them both Oscars in 1976, beating out the Rocky theme.
Her self-assurance and visionary certainty of success sometimes suggested arrogance to reporters as when she flatly responded “Yes” to the question “Did you ever dream this would happen?” Awkward in social situations, serious, both shy and forthright, Barbra Streisand also suffers from severe stage fright and is a self-described homebody who loves her husband, family and dear friends. What Barbra Streisand does not tolerate are liars, people who are mean or unkind and ones who discuss her private life or spread gossip.
Demonstrably, she is extremely loyal to those she trusts. Marty Erlichman has been her manager on the basis of a handshake for 62 years. He negotiated one of the most important and enduring terms of agreement for full creative control between his client, then an unknown 19-year-old recording artist and the powerful Columbia Records.
She has known the songwriters Alan Bergman and his late wife Marilyn since she was 18 and recorded over sixty of their songs and continues to speak to him on a daily basis. Renata Buser, her majordomo, chef, flower arranger, personal assistant and friend has worked for her for over 50 years. She has had the same hairdresser for 47 years and personal trainer for 45 as well as numerous friends including top fashion designer and best friend Donna Karan.
Life, Loves, Triumphs and Disappointments
My Name is Barbra does describe in sometimes almost excruciatingly minute detail nearly every aspect of her life, loves, triumphs and occasional disappointments in her career. There is particular emphasis on clothing, costumes, the making of albums and films along with various significant relationships and the lasting happiness she has achieved with her beloved husband of over 25 years James Brolin.
Some may think 100 pages devoted to the making of Yentl might be excessive but the reader must judge whether, to paraphrase the delightful novelty song she recorded about Sam the tailor, Babs, you made the book too long. For me, it’s been three glorious weeks of Barbra Streisand immersion between reading the memoir, researching, listening to albums, watching movies, several interviews and some of the early television specials as well as a full-length concert film. The final sentence of My Name is Barbra neatly sums up her rich and full life while reminding us of her glorious early hit song: “I think I truly am one of the luckiest people in the world.” So are all of her millions of fans worldwide who have been entertained by her songs, television specials, films, concerts and rare interviews.
