All About Streisand: Trivia, FAQ, etc.
by: Matt Howe, Barbra-Archives.com
On this page you will find some commonly asked questions about Barbra Streisand. Here are some clarifying answers.
STREISAND'S AWARDS
Streisand has won a Grammy, an Emmy, an Oscar, and a Tony. She won her first Grammy in 1963, her first Emmy in 1965, her first Oscar in 1968, and her Tony in 1970. Her Tony was a non-competitive award for Star of the Decade. There are other performers (Rita Moreno) who won all 4 awards in competitive categories.
But don't forget Barbra's Peabody awards, BAFTAs, People's Choice, Golden Globes, and Directors Guild of America awards.
STREISAND'S TYPEFACE/FONT
Several fans always email asking what font (or typeface) is used on Streisand's albums. Barbra has used the same typeface on twenty of her album covers. The first time she used it was on her first album in 1963. The last time she used it was on 1999's A Love Like Ours.
The font is Century-Book Italic.
STREISAND'S TINNITUS
Barbra Streisand has had Tinnitus since she was a little girl. In an interview with Barbara Walters (1985) Streisand said she longs for silence. According to the American Tinnitus Association, “Tinnitus is the perception of ringing, hissing, or other sounds in the ears or head when no external sound is present. For some people, tinnitus is just a nuisance. For others, it is a life-altering condition. In the United States, an estimated 12 million people have tinnitus to a distressing degree.”
BARBRA DID A PORN?
Not!
In the 1970s — before DVDs! — an 8mm porn film was sold and advertised as Barbra Streisand in Hardcore!
The film featured an actress with Egyptian eyeliner.
Although the “actress” in this “film” resembles Barbra, it is not her.
The movie is actually called The Personal Touch. The same actress that looks like Barbra also appeared in another movie called Auto-Sex.
Streisand even joked about it in a 1977 Playboy interview: “I couldn't resist the temptation to see what the actress looked like—and also to check out her performance—so we got a copy. The film, naturally, is very blurred. The girl has long hair, like I did back in the Sixties, although she was chubby, while I was very skinny. But the dead giveaway came when the camera zoomed in on her hands around the guy's you-know-what. There they were: short, stubby fingers! Definitely not mine. So all you would-be buyers, don't waste your money.”
DID BARBRA REALLY DATE ... ??
Barbra Streisand has been married twice, and has dated some handsome men over the years. Here at Barbra Archives, I usually steer clear of Streisand's personal life (rumors, etc.). But below is a run-down of men who've had the pleasure of Barbra's company (before James Brolin got her exclusively!).
Barbra married Elliott Gould in 1963. They had one son (Jason Gould) in 1966. They divorced in 1971.
It is rumored that Streisand had affairs with her Funny Girl leading men: Sydney Chaplin on Broadway, and Omar Sharif during the filming of the Funny Girl movie.
Streisand dated Ryan O'Neal in early 1971, then filmed What's Up Doc? with him. Reportedly, the romance ended by the time the film wrapped. But, like a lot of her lovers, Barbra remained friendly with Ryan. They even reteamed (professionally) for The Main Event in 1979.
Warren Beatty was “one of my flings,” according to Barbra.
(Photo, right, top to bottom: Streisand with Gould, Peters, Johnson, Baskin, Brolin.)
Barbra dated Canada's prime minister Pierre Trudeau in the early 1970's. He was fifty at the time. By 1977, she told Playboy magazine that “certain realities” prevented her from becoming a Canadian first lady. When Trudeau died in 2000, Barbra released a statement: “He was very unusual, an athlete with a poetic soul. His love and dedication to his country were inspiring. He had extraordinary charm and grace and style. He will be greatly missed.”
Barbra met Jon Peters in 1973 when she wanted a short wig for her film For Pete's Sake. Jon owned a string of successful hair salons and had made quite a success for himself. They started seeing each other shortly after that. Jon was criticized for edging his way into Streisand's professional life. He produced Barbra's Butterfly album and some said he was over his head. However, Jon proved himself as a Hollywood producer. He and Barbra fought to make A Star Is Born and Jon produced Eyes of Laura Mars himself. Of course, Jon became a great producer (Batman, Superman Returns) and went on to become a big name in Hollywood. Jon and Barbra lived together at their Malibu ranch in Ramirez Canyon. Streisand's and Peter's sons grew up together in that home. Jon contributed greatly to the homestead. They split around the time of Yentl. Jon and Barbra have remained close, however. He attended her 1994 concert, and Barbra is very fond of his adopted daughter Caleigh — in fact, she dedicated the Disney medley to her during The Concert.
Don Johnson and Barbra started dating in 1988. Barbra's romance with People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" caused quite a commotion. Barbra told The Daily Mail in London, "He is very gentle, sensitive, and nurturing. He has wonderful manners and he can make me laugh."
In the early 1990's Streisand showed up in public with Andre Agassi. Barbra said about Andre: "He's very intelligent; very very sensitive, very evolved; more than his linear years. And he's an extraordinary human being. He plays like a Zen master. It's very in the moment."
Agassi wrote about Streisand in his 2009 autobiography. Of the press, he said, “They all want to know how we met. I refuse to tell them, because Barbra is the shyest, most private person I know...” Then he writes about how they met! He was playing golf with Steve Wynn, the casino impresario, “and I mentioned that I enjoyed Barbra Streisand's music. He said she was a good friend. Thus began a series of phone calls, during which Barbra and I connected ...”
Agassi tells the story of attending a small get-together at Barbra's house in Malibu in which David Foster tried to get her to sing. Barbra resisted for a while. “Not five minutes later, however,” Agassi wrote, “she let fly a few bars. The sound filled the room from the rafters to the floorboards. Everyone stopped talking. Glasses shook. Flatware rattled. The bones in my ribs and wrist vibrated ... I couldn't believe that a human being was capable of producing that much sound, that a human voice could pervade every square inch of a room.”
As for dating her, Agassi said: “We agree that we're good for each other, and so what if she's twenty-eight years older? We're simpatico, and the public outcry only adds spice to our connection. It makes our friendship feel forbidden, taboo—another piece of my overall rebellion. Dating Barbra Streisand is like wearing Hot Lava.”
Heir to the Baskin-Robbins ice cream fortune, Richard Baskin and Barbra Streisand started dating in 1983. At six foot three inches in height, and with an amazing head of curly hair, Baskin was already in "the business" (he wrote some of the songs for Altman's film Nashville), so mixing his career with Barbra's was natural. Their projects together included The Broadway Album, Emotion, and One Voice albums. Richard co-directed the "Emotion" video and produced "The Earth Day Special." Richard wrote the lyrics to Streisand's melody on "Here We Are At Last."
Streisand reportedly dated Peter Jennings for a brief time in the 90s before meeting and marrying actor James Brolin. Brolin and Streisand were married in 1998. Barbra has said of James, "I think for the first time in my life I'm not afraid to love. You see, what Jim does with me, too, in my life is he fills a void that has, that I never thought could be filled. Not having a father, it was this kind of deep hole that could never be filled. And he—not only is he my lover and my friend and my best friend but, he is—he fills the role of my dad at times, you know?"
End.
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