Barbra Archives has been on the internet since May 2003 ... Even in the early days of this website, Barbra Archives was reporting important news about Barbra Streisand.
On the death of Whitney Houston, Barbra wrote on her official website: “She had everything, beauty, a magnificent voice. How sad her gifts could not bring her the same happiness they brought us.”
Sterling Books released a photo book: Barbra: A Retrospective by Allegra Rossi.
Barbra re-signs with her record label, Columbia Records. “From the day Goddard Lieberson signed me almost 50 years ago, Columbia Records has been my recording home, and I am thrilled to continue that partnership for many years to come,” said Streisand in a statement.
The Hollywood Reporter announced that Columbia Records will release a 12 DVD set, giving unprecedented access into her professional and personal life. The DVD set will consist of never before seen footage directly from Barbra’s archives, as well as milestones from her illustrious career.
Barbra appeared on the Academy Awards telecast in a filmed sequence directed by Moneyball’s Bennett Miller. Speaking about the magic of the movies, Streisand said: “I could dream there. I could become anything I want. I could be part of the film. I could dream about my own future...”
Paramount Pictures renames Streisand’s upcoming comedy film with Seth Rogen. My Mother’s Curse is now titled The Guilt Trip.
Barbra Streisand and James Brolin attend the Los Angeles premiere of a new play by Dustin Lance Black — “8”.
President of Israel, Shimon Peres and Barbra Streisand, Stephen Spielberg, and more attend an event with entertainment industry leaders to discuss the vital connection between Hollywood and education at DreamWorks Animation.
Universal Pictures announces that Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) was selected to write the screenplay of Gypsy for producers Barbra Streisand and Joel Silver.
Tavis Smiley and Cornel West, co-hosts of Smiley & West distributed by Public Radio International, paid tribute to songwriting duo Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Streisand surprised everyone by calling in to reflect on her long friendship with the Bergmans.
“It's the integrity of the lyric, the imagination of the lyric, the poetry of the lyric,” Streisand said, reflecting on the Bergman's lyrical genius. “It just has great depth. I don't know of anyone that comes close to them.”
Barbra celebrated her 70th birthday with a dinner at Taverna Tony's Greek restaurant in Malibu, California.
Guests included: hubby Jim Brolin; friend Donna Karan; Jane Fonda and boyfriend Richard Perry (who produced Barbra's Stoney End album); Joel Silver (producer of the upcoming Gypsy film); John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston; Quincy Jones; Richard Jay-Alexander; Josh Brolin and Diane Lane; Warren Beatty; Kenny G; Steven Spielberg and wife Kate Capshaw; Pierce Brosnan; and Patricia Arquette.
Barbra told People magazine: “It was an intimate magical event with only very close friends, people I've known and loved more than 20 years ... The highlight of the evening was my son's film that he made for me. People kept asking, ‘Who is that singing?’ And when I said it was Jason, everyone was blown away by the beauty and soulfulness of his voice. Quincy Jones wanted to sign him on the spot.”
She also revealed: “My friends made it an evening of surprises for me, flying in the remarkable Israeli mentalist and gifting me with the performance of my favorite singer, Johnny Mathis, and many, many more highlights.”
Mathis sang two songs for Barbra and her guests: “You'll Never Know” and “The Way He (She) Makes Me Feel.”
“She was over the moon,” Mathis told the Detroit News. “I tried to sing a couple of things I thought she might like. The first song I sang, ‘You'll Never Know,’ I hit that one right on the nail. The second one was a song from (Streisand's movie) ‘Yentl,’ and I forgot the words! She said, ‘Don't worry about it, keep going! Keep going!’”
Jason Gould created a special film for his mother which included his vocal of “Nature Boy.”
Orchestra leader, arranger, composer and musical director Mort Lindsey died in his Malibu home on Friday, May 4th. Streisand posted on her official site: “I loved Mort. He was a doll. In a very real way, he was a dream come true for me. I first saw him when I was a teenager and got to attend a free Judy Garland concert. They were either taping it as a show or for a recording. Mort was on stage conducting for Judy, and I could sense how safe she felt with his judgements and encouragements. I stood there fantasizing that one day I would work with him too. And then, that one day arrived and we worked together many wonderful times. He was great.”
Streisand’s October 11th concert at the new Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn was announced. Also, The Guilt Trip’s theatrical release is moved from November 2 to Christmas day. (On May 23rd, they announced a second show on October 13th).
Donna Summer dies. Barbra releases a statement: “I was shocked to hear about Donna. She was so vital the last time I saw her a few months ago. I loved doing the duet with her. She had an amazing voice and was so talented ... It's so sad.”
James Brolin and Barbra Streisand attend Joel Silver’s Memorial Day party in Malibu, California.
Streisand narrates a video about women’s heart Health for Cedars-Sinai.
In June, Streisand exceeded her goal of bringing $20 million to Cedar-Sinai's cardiovascular program. “Barbra has now brought over $22 million to this cause, including her own generous gift of $10 million in matching funds,” said Dr. Noel Bairey-Merz, director of the program. Barbra was thrilled that the program was re-named the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center.
"Women need to be educated about female cardiovascular disease, and the medical community must be propelled toward change,” Streisand told The Hollywood Reporter. “Just like with breast cancer, the impetus must come from women themselves striving to become empowered to reduce their risks for heart disease.”
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Streisand reveals she’s working on an album of older but previously unreleased material due in the fall. She also mentions a film project she intends to direct about the romance between photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White and writer Erskine Caldwell, with Cate Blanchett and Colin Firth attached to star. About getting financing for the film, Barbra commented, “This is hard to raise money for?” She continued, “I’m just in shock. Hollywood has changed so much. It's about a woman ahead of her time. It's just a fascinating story that is very relevant to today. I may have to pick up the phone again.”
Streisand hosts a fundraiser at her home to raise funds for women’s heart health. Attending: James Brolin, Bill Clinton, Ron Meyer, Donna Karan, Josh Brolin, Diane Lane, the Bergmans, Jason Gould, and more. Performing with Streisand at the event were David Foster on piano, duet partner Josh Groban, and host Martin Short.
More info about Streisand’s possible next film project is reported by Reuters:
“Singer and actress Barbra Streisand is hoping to get back behind the camera and direct her first movie in 16 years, but has yet to raise all the money for it.
Streisand's spokesman on Thursday confirmed reports that the "Funny Girl" actress wants to direct "Skinny and Cat," a love story about late writer Erskine Caldwell and his late wife, American photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White.”
Barbra poses with 149 other stars, directors, and industry folks in a photo to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Paramount Pictures. The photo appears in the July issue of Vanity Fair.
Barbra spoke about women’s heart health at Ideas to Go at the closing ceremony of the Aspen Ideas Festival at the Aspen Institute.
Marvin Hamlisch, famed composer and conductor collapsed after a brief illness and died at age 68. Barbra’s statement:
“I’m devastated. He was my dear friend. He's been in my life ever since the first day I met him in 1963, when he was my rehearsal pianist for ‘Funny Girl.’ He played at my wedding in 1998... and recently for me at a benefit for women's heart disease. The world will remember Marvin for his brilliant musical accomplishments, from ‘A Chorus Line’ to ‘The Way We Were,’ and so many others, but when I think of him now, it was his brilliantly quick mind, his generosity, and delicious sense of humor that made him a delight to be around. Just last night, I was trying to reach him, to tell him how much I loved him, and that I wanted to use an old song of his, that I had just heard for the first time. He was a true musical genius, but above all that, he was a beautiful human being. I will truly miss him.”
A week later, in discussion with the Los Angeles Times, Streisand said: “I wanted to tell him that I decided to sing ‘The Way We Were’ for a concert in Brooklyn [in October] for my new tour. And I was going back to his arrangement from the movie. I had never done that. I am always looking for new ways to do songs to make them fresh for me.”
Streisand also mentioned she would dedicate her latest CD, Release Me, to Marvin Hamlisch.
And a statement from Alan and Marilyn Bergman:
“He was more than our collaborator. He was our beloved friend. He was family. The world will miss his music, his humor, his genius. We will miss him every day for the rest of our lives.”
Concert promoters Live Nation and S2BN announced Streisand’s eight-concert tour with Chris Botti and Il Volo.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Streisand mentions an album of duets for the first time. Telling the paper that it won't be released “for a while,” Barbra discloses she is considering Hamlisch's tune “Any Moment Now,” a song he wrote with Carolyn Leigh for the 1986 musical, “Smile.”
Phyllis Diller, comedy legend, dies. Barbra’s statement: “I adored her. She was a wondrous spirit who was great to me. Phyllis paved the way for all the female comedians who followed in her footsteps. The public knew her as a self-deprecating, wise-cracking, complainer. In fact, she was a lovely, smart and sensitive woman. I will always be grateful to her and I will cherish her memory forever.”
Columbia Records announces Barbra’s new album of previously unreleased songs, Release Me. A few days later, Columbia posts a track from the album, “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today.”
Vintage newsreel footage of Barbra Streisand appears in the documentary, Palme, about Olof Palme, Sweden’s famous politician who was shot to death in 1986 on the streets of Stockholm.
Barbra Streisand attended The Cinema Society, The Hollywood Reporter and Samsung Galaxy S III’s screening of The Perks Of Being A Wallflower in East Hampton, New York. The outdoor screening and dinner were held at the home of Donna and Gabby Karan.
Live Nation and S2BN announce three more West Coast concerts for Streisand in Las Vegas, San Jose, and Los Angeles.
The gay magazine The Advocate posts the track “Home” from Barbra’s album, Release Me.
Three of America's leading stage performers — Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and Aretha Franklin — paid tribute to Marvin Hamlisch at an invitation-only tribute for the composer at the 900-seat Sharp Theater at New York's Juilliard School for the Arts where Hamlisch studied as a boy, the youngest person accepted at just age 7.
Streisand poses backstage with the cast of Broadway’s The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.
Richard Jay-Alexander appears on QVC to promote the new Streisand album, Release Me, in the 7:00 A.M. hour on MORNINGS MADE EASY and again in the 12:00 Noon hour on Q CHECK.
Streisand attends a luncheon, cohosted by Dr. Holly S. Andersen, director of education and women’s heart health at the Perelman Heart Institute, and Dr. C. Noel Bairey Merz, director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center.
Ron Perelman, chairman and chief executive officer of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc. and chairman of Revlon, hosted the event to honor Barbra Streisand and the work done by the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles and the Women’s Initiative of the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
“She’s one of the most beautiful and talented women in the world — and a pain in the ass, just like me,” Perelman said with a laugh as he introduced Streisand to the crowd, which included Debra Messing, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Donna Karan, Star Jones, Gayle King, newly named Cosmopolitan editor in chief Joanna Coles and Glamour editor in chief Cindi Leive. “Barbra called me about six months ago and said she thought it would be wonderful if we could work together. Through her efforts, we have the opportunity to help many more women.” Surveying the crowd of about 65 people, he added, “Next year, I’d like to fill all three rooms at the Four Seasons.” Perelman donated $1 million to Streisand’s center at Cedars-Sinai, as well.
Streisand pointed out that Americans spend $7 billion a year on potato chips and $110 billion on fast food, but only a tiny fraction of that total is spent on heart research — and only on men’s hearts, which Streisand sees as a gender equality issue. “Women have different plumbing,” said a Donna Karan-clad Streisand. “I’ve always been outspoken on civil rights, and this matters. Women are still being treated as second-class citizens when it comes to heart disease, which kills more women than all types of cancer combined. Far more women than men die of heart disease. And heart research done on women also benefits men, especially when it comes to stem-cell research.”
Debra Messing—Grace from Will and Grace—fan-girled out. “ˆwas my favorite movie growing up, and she was my idol,” Messing said. “She started out on Broadway, and I think it would be great if she would come on and play my mother.”
Messing brought with her a Playbill from Funny Girl and asked Streisand to sign it.
Barbra attended the off-Broadway show, Traces, at the Union Square Theatre.
According to the L.A. Times, “Sue Mengers, a veteran talent agent who blazed a path for women in Hollywood and represented some of its biggest stars, died Saturday night at her Beverly Hills home after a long illness. She was 79.” Mengers was Streisand’s agent during the 1970s and 1980s, as well as a friend. Streisand’s statement: “She was one of a kind, acerbically funny, witty, brash, tough but cuddly, a powerful woman in a man's world.”
Barbra Streisand and James Brolin attended The William J. Clinton Foundation's Decade of Difference concert, celebrating ten years of the Foundation along with the former president's 65th birthday. Streisand appeared in the opening pre-recorded video which was shown before Stevie Wonder took the stage at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Calif.
Streisand was honored at Elle magazine's Women in Hollywood event. Actresses such as Michelle Pfeiffer, Viola Davis, Evan Rachel Wood, Freida Pinto and Naomi Watts said before the ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel that Streisand has inspired them, and the love fest continued throughout the private dinner.
Jennifer Aniston told Barbra that she loved her, and Pinto, celebrating her birthday, said on stage that “sharing the same oxygen” as Streisand was an incredible birthday gift.
“You're a legend not only in Hollywood but literally all over the world,” the Slumdog Millionaire star told Streisand. “I can say that because I come from India.”
She said Streisand's song “Putting it Together” was “like a reality check that every girl that wants to get into this big entertainment industry needs to listen to.”
“That was a truly inspirational song, so thank you so much for that,” Pinto said.
Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow introduced Streisand as “a world icon” and “somebody who has mastered virtually every art form imaginable: directing, acting, composing, singing, producing, writing.”
Streisand returned the love in kind, congratulating her fellow honorees, which included Pfeiffer, Davis, Wood, Pinto, Watts, Aniston, actress Elizabeth Olsen and DreamWorks Studios chief Stacey Snider.
“They're all so charming, so well spoken, and so thin,” Streisand said, adding, “I ate the chocolate cake.”
Streisand said that only seven percent of the top 250 films were directed by women and she urged her colleagues to be fearless about moving forward in the entertainment industry.
“Let's be bold and don't wait for the phone to ring,” she said. “Create your own material. Tell me a story.”
Barbra Streisand and Robert Barth were honored by the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors at their annual Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Proceeds from the Gala will benefit the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute. The Gala was hosted by Seth Rogen and included a performance by Marvin Hamlisch.
Barbra Streisand presented Donna Karan with the Founders Award at the 10th Annual Celebration of Dreams benefit.
Barbra said of her close friend, “Donna doesn’t just dress people, she addresses them, mind, body and spirit. She is a creative visionary. Passionate. Forceful. Nurturing. Extremely hands on. And generous to a fault. You can’t help falling in love with her. As a friend, Donna is thoughtful, funny and mothering – she can’t help herself. Years ago, I fell in love with a chenille sweater from Anne Klein. It turned out the fabric was highly flammable. I didn’t care. I even offered to sign a legal waiver should the sweater catch on fire. But Donna said, absolutely not, give it back. She wouldn’t take the chance. Donna doesn’t know I still have that sweater.”
“Donna and I bonded immediately. We were both on spiritual paths and saw everyone, including driving upstate to see Guru Mai for a 15-minute visit that turned into three hours of sitting in the dark. Donna and I even schlepped to Massachusetts to learn to meditate with Deepak Chopra. We were soul sisters.”
“One of the things Donna and I have most in common is our passion for positive change. How to use our voice and creativity to get something done. How to use our platforms and public profiles to bring attention to urgent matters. Every year, we attend the Clinton Global Initiative, where Bill Clinton brings people together to create change. Trust me, few people motivate you more than Bill Clinton. We leave the CGI, inspired to do whatever we can to make a difference.”
“It is most fitting that The Dream Foundation is honoring her. Donna dreams big and keeps at it until it becomes a reality
What Matters Most was nominated for two Grammy Awards; The dance hit, “Barbra Streisand” by the group Duck Sauce was nominated for Best Dance Recording
Streisand and Dr. Noel Bairey Merz participated in TEDxWomen and spoke to a live audience (which was livestreamed), shedding light on the facts and myths related to heart disease.
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