Barbra Streisand on TV: The Tonight Show 1962-1963
Barbra's Appearances Aired:
August 21, 1962 [Temporary host Groucho Marx]
October 4, 1962
November 2, 1962
December 3, 1962
January 2, 1963
February 1, 1963
February 22, 1963
March 5, 1963

The Tonight Show had several incarnations before Johnny Carson molded it into the iconic show that is famous today. It all began in the early 1960s.

Jack Paar was the king of talk television at the time. Barbra Streisand guested on Jack Paar's talk show — when Paar was not the host. Because Paar had arranged a short work-week with NBC, Orson Bean was the fill-in host during Barbra's 1961 appearance.

In 1962, after Paar and NBC clashed and parted ways, several guest hosts took turns helming the show between April and October 1962. Barbra appeared once when Groucho Marx was a temporary host.

Listen to Groucho and Streisand Quicktime required (.mov file)

When Johnny took over on October 1, 1962 it became "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson." Barbra first appeared with Johnny on October 4, 1962. He was obviously enchanted by Barbra (as most of us were when she first hit the scene!). Of course, like many of the early television shows, the video tapes were erased over years ago. Only audio still exists.

Listen to Streisand's first appearance with Carson. (3.6 MB mp3 file)

Carson was very supportive of Barbra, who was at the beginning of her career. When Barbra's first album was released in February 1963, Johnny had her on his show often to help her promote it.

On her last appearance (March 5, 1963), Barbra and Johnny had the following exchange:

Unfortunately, Barbra never appeared on Carson's show again.

There was a scheduling snafu with The Tonight Show in 1975. As the story goes, Ray Stark and Jon Peters arranged for Streisand to appear on The Tonight Show to promote FUNNY LADY, which had opened in March 1975. Barbra was scheduled to appear July 9 and details were arranged with The Tonight Show's producers, which included approval of the lighting and orchestra (Streisand would sing two songs). Unfortunately, Barbra's management cancelled her appearance a day before the show. Several biographies claim Carson was mad and got his revenge on Streisand by pulling the wig off an impersonator the next night.

Johnny Carson himself told Rolling Stone magazine the whole story in 1988:

"I remember once Streisand, she was booked on the show and we had a call that afternoon saying she wasn't going to come; I don't know why. But we billboarded her for two days. I went out and said that Barbra Streisand was supposed to be here, she hasn't been here for twelve years, but I think it will probably be another twelve years before she is asked back. It was just a little joke, nothing vicious. [Smirking] So the next night, I get Madlyn Rhue, and we dressed her up in a Streisand get-up and she started to do "People." For a moment you couldn't tell if it was Streisand or not because she was lip-synching. I walked over, and said, "Thank you, but we don't need you." And she walked back to the curtain and it was wonderful. I was just taking advantage of what was going on. And of course the papers picked that up and they made a big thing about Streisand and I having a quarrel."

Barbra even wrote kind things about Carson in her liner notes to 1991's JUST FOR THE RECORD CD set: "I remember Johnny inviting me back several times and that was nice."

Johnny Carson came into people's homes every weeknight on The Tonight Show. His respectful, easy-going style will be missed. Good night, Johnny.

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