THE VOICE AND VISION BEHIND ONE OF ENTERTAINMENT'S MOST COMPLETE CAREERS
Barbra Streisand
b. 1942 · Musician
Early Life
Barbra Streisand was born on April 24, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in a working-class Jewish family. Her father died when she was an infant, and she was raised largely by her mother in modest circumstances, developing an early love of performing.
She began singing in nightclubs around New York City as a teenager, quickly gaining attention for her powerful voice, and made her Broadway debut in a supporting role in I Can Get It for You Wholesale in 1962, which earned her a Tony nomination at just 19.
Rise to Fame
Streisand's breakout stage role came as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway in 1964, a performance that made her a major star. She translated that success into a recording career, releasing a string of best-selling albums through the 1960s and winning her first Grammy Awards.
She reprised her Funny Girl role for the 1968 film adaptation, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress and launching a parallel career as one of Hollywood's leading actresses.
Career Highlights
Streisand became one of the few entertainers to achieve EGOT status across multiple competitive and honorary categories, winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony recognition, and remains one of the best-selling female recording artists in history with albums spanning five consecutive decades reaching number one on the Billboard chart.
She also became a trailblazing director and producer, directing Yentl (1983) and The Prince of Tides (1991), among the first women to direct, produce, write, and star in a major studio film, and continued releasing acclaimed albums and performing sold-out concerts into her later career.
Personal Life
Streisand was married to actor Elliott Gould from 1963 to 1971, with whom she has a son, and has been married to actor James Brolin since 1998. She has long been an outspoken advocate for political and social causes, including women's rights and environmental issues.
She has remained relatively private about her personal life outside of her public political engagement, focusing much of her public presence on her creative work and philanthropy.
Net Worth & Legacy
Barbra Streisand's net worth is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, built through decades of record sales, film and television work, touring, and business ventures.
From a working-class Brooklyn childhood to one of the most decorated and complete careers in entertainment history, Streisand has built a legacy as a singer, actress, director, and producer whose influence spans generations of performers.