Streisand - A legend in her own lifetime.
- Apr 24
- 8 min read
April 24th - Barbra Streisand is 84 years of age.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBRA.
PLEASE :- No e mails telling me I have spelled BARBRA incorrectly, as THAT is how she spells her name... with an A missing.
YES: The WORLD BIGGEST STAR is 84 years of age and for those of us who have loved her Music, TV Specials, Movies, and live performances - for the past 60 years - SIXTY YEARS - and who followed her career with interest, Hamilton Hall is hosting STREISAND WEEKEND later in the year, so watch our Diary of Events for details.
FIRST HEARD
16 years of age. Living already with my first lover who was 42 . He was away in Guernsey looking for property ( we moved there 4 months later ) and I was alone, in Wimborne late at night, missing him madly ( I was 16 ) and laying in bed on my own and Barbra came on the radio singing ' What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life' and I just burst into tears.
FIRST SAW IN THE FLESH
Yentl was first screened in the UK at a Royal Charity Premiere at the Leicester Square Theatre in London on March 29, 1984 and I was outside the cinema amongst hundreds of others just there to see the stars arrive, and when Barbra arrived, all dressed in white and a turban and turned to go straight into the cinema on exiting the limo, I called out ' LOVE YOU BARBRA' - and EVERYONE turned to stare at me - but Barbra did turn around and wave - naturaly directly at me - ho ho ... and acknowledged the crowd that had gathered;- but if it was not for me, we would only have seen the back of her head.
February 18th 1992 THE PRINCE OF TIDES ROYAL GALA
I heard that there was to be a Royal Gala Opening for the film 'The Prince Of Tides' and I was on the phone so quick. I managed after hours, to purchase 2 tickets in the Circle of the Leicester Square cinema for £380 - and as it was black tie, I rented black tie and tails... Yes I wore tails and looked and felt like Fred Astair ( No - not Ginger Rodgers... ) and it was a very smart affair.
Barbra sat 4 seats down and 4 seats to my right, and 4 seats down and 3 seats to the right was Princess Di and the whole cast and crew of the film were also present but I only had eyes for Barbra and completely ( bad boy ) overlooked the rest of the famous faces present. ( I was going to list them here but this is about Streisand, so they can wait and get their own page... ha ha )
After the film ended she gave a brief speech about how she loved London and how people left her alone here and respected her space. I rushed over and sat on the same seat Barbra had been sitting on just moments before ( this was after she had left and not while she was still there... now THAT would have been awkward...) and it was still warm. so I felt the warmth of Streisands behind...
STOP: I can't breath. !!! I actually felt the warmth of Barbra Streisand butt. So intimate. So close. aaaahhhh....
April 20th and 29th 1994.
Opening night and Closing Nights I was at Wembley Arena for the first ever concert she had done in decades outside of the USA and I bought a black market ticket for £250 for opening night, and I had already bought 5 tickets at £110 each for closing night... and it was thrilling. To actually be so close to my hero, and to hear her sing - LIVE - and right there in front me.
I didn't care how much it cost - how many hours I had to sit on the phone to get tickets, as I knew this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was going for it. On Opening Night I was alone and in another state of mind completely. Little did I know a neighbour of mine was sitting within a couple of hundred feet of me and he was actally IN YENTL and had worked with Streisand on the film, and we ' found each other' days later and the concidence came to light and we became friends after that. He actually lived accross the road from me in Hammersmith and it was Barbra that got us united...
Closing night of the show's run I was treating some friends who could not afford it but I knew would love to go, and my X lover from America came over and I treated him, and we had champagne and canapes at my house before we set out and again, it was a fantasy come true. Of course, silly of you to ask, but the show was spectacular.
July 2007
A customer here at Hamilton Hall offered me to join him at London's O2 to see her again, and I was thrilled. Tickets were £510 each and when I asked why he was treating me and not a friend, he answered how he knew of my passion and love for Streisand and he knew how this evening would live with me forever, as it would him, and how thankful he was for all I offer at Hamilton Hall and this was his way of saying thankyou.
I was gobsmacked. Speechless for at least 10 seconds, which for those who know me, know that that is a very long time to stay silent.. at least, for me ... ha ha
Another incredible evening with the world finest.
I have seen :- Shirley Bassey and Liza Minelli both at different times at the Royal Abert Hall. At the end of Bassey's show the 'THIS IS YOUR LIFE' film crew caught her on stage and we were standing on our seats screaming like mad things... The TV recording of TIYL was filmed at a later date.
Bette Midler's Opening Night of 'De Tour' in San Francisco back in the early 1980s. She just walked onto an empty stage and stood there and the crowd ( 95% LGBT ) went WILD... and there was a 10 minute standing ovation and she hadn't done anything yet... She was so loved.
Andy Williams ( at 80 and brilliant ) and Dionne Warwick ( at 75 and somewhat dissappointing and somewhat up herself... ) at different times here in Bournemouth at the BIC.
Celine Dion twice, First time at Hammersmith Apollo ( good show ) and a year or so later at Wembley Arena and this time is was a SPECTACULAR WORLD CLASS SHOW.
Liberace in Las Vagas,- and at the end of his show he asks the audiance to call out names of songe he will put into a medley and I called out ' WE'LL MEET AGAIN.' - and he looked directly at me and said ' WHAT WAS THAT ?' So I repeated it and he looked straight at me and joked - 'OH YOU MUST BE A LIMEY !'
I attended The Rocky Horror Show when it first opened in London on June 1973, Created by Richard O'Brien, at the Chelsea Classic Cinema, and it was spectacular in that we had no clue what to expect and had our minds blown away - and there have been scores of other famous singers and actors ( Maggie Smith for one, George Michael, Annie Lennox, Michael Jackson ( boring show ) Banarama ( they mimed the whole show and Michael Bolton who was brilliant ) and various orchestras and bands who I have seen live and been blown away by :- BUT every night with Barbra was special and never to be forgtten and as the BIGGEST STAR IN THE WORLD -
It was like a holy occasion.
( Name another who is an EGOT winner and has done as much as Streisand. )
( EGOT is an acronym for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards, referring to people who have won all four of the major performing art awards in the United States. Respectively, these awards honor outstanding achievements in television, audio recording/music, film, and Broadway theatre. Achieving the EGOT has been referred to as the "grand slam" of American show business
Barbra Streisand is considered the first entertainer to achieve a "non-competitive" or honorary EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) and is generally cited as the first female to do so, completing the set in 1970 at age 27.
AGED 27 - CAN YOU IMAGINE ???
While she achieved the feat quickly, her Tony Award was a special/honorary award rather than a competitive one, often placing her in a unique category, as seen on the Wikipedia EGOT page.
Barbra Streisand has released over 80 officially recognized albums throughout her career as of 2025, including 39 studio albums, 10 live albums, and several soundtracks and compilations. Her extensive discography with Columbia Records has spanned over six decades, making her one of the best-selling artists of all time, detailed on Barbra-archives.info.
Barbra Streisand’s current married name is Barbra Brolin. She has been married to actor James Brolin since July 1, 1998, though she continues to use her birth name, Streisand, professionally. Her first married name was Streisand-Gould, from her marriage to actor Elliott Gould (1963–1971)
Now: To the normal reader who does not know me, would you guess I was gay by the acts and the singers I have followed ???
BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my beloved Barbra Joan Streisand - or to Mrs. Brolin - and to all those who; like me; have been loyal fans for decades...YOU HAVE EXCELLENT TASTE - AND 'HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN...' CLICK HERE
John Bellamy
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