I first discovered Barbra in my darkest hour at the age of 2. Of course, at that age, I could only feel the comfort in a sound that absorbed me in my alone abandonment. I grew up feeling cold and the only thing that kept me warm was the sound of her voice. My own mother was never there to comfort me. I was a child of neglect from the time I could remember. My pain was only resolved by the joy I felt in the expressions Barbra shared from her powerful voice. Barbra's voice was and remains the only untouchable entity to reach me. My father knew how much hearing Barbra's voice affected me and so he purchased my first Barbra Album that was actually produced on the day I was born, Barbra's second album. This gift was actually given to me on my third birthday. At this time, my senses were attracted to sounds. I didn't even know who produced this sound until my father gave me the album. Then I understood that the sound that I loved so much came from a woman named Barbra Streisand.

When my father gave me his time I would question him about this woman. He never took my questions seriously as he was a "jokester" so his answers to me never made sense but they were amusing. I think I take after him in that way.

Back to Barbra: She was my escape like a drug...I never took drugs and I'm not much of a drinker so when I need to get high I listen to Barbra sing. I also appreciate her films and Yentl is my favorite.

I'm now 46yo, as of August 12th, and I know that my life has been enhanced by the gifts that Barbra has shared through her gorgeous voice and talent as a director/actress. I have enjoyed reading about her life and where she came from to where she is today. Barbra has been my inspiration since I was two.

It was in the car. My parent's green station wagon. Green vinyl seats. I was struggling to open a stick of Wrigley's Spearmint gum. Not an easy feat for very young hands. My feet were sticking straight out in front of me, not quite reaching the edge of the seat.

Onto the radio came a song. This woman was singing something. I'd heard her voice before. It was the first time I recognized a song on the radio. I was so excited to make this discovery that I shouted "I know her!" My parents laughed and said her name. It sounded odd. Not at all familiar, but the voice was familiar. My mom liked this woman singing, and so did I.

A couple of years later, as I walked into my parent's bedroom to say goodnight, with my brother and sisters, I heard that woman's voice. She was singing on the tv. I spun around quickly to see a man carrying a lady up a flight of stairs. Was this her? She did not look as I had imagined, but I was mesmerized. My brother and sisters had already left the room. My father began yelling at me to go to bed. I stood rooted to the spot, unable to look away from that woman singing until the commercial came on, at which point I pleaded with my parents to let me stay up to watch whatever this was. Bedtime was strictly enforced in our house, and I was told the movie would come on again, another time.

Over the years, whenever a Barbra Streisand movie was on tv, I looked for that scene. By the time I was a teenager, I was half convinced it had never happened. That I had imagined it as a child. I had started collecting her albums, saving up my allowance, working my way through the Barbra Streisand section in the music department at Korvette's. The first album I bought was Wet, mostly because of the photo on the cover. I played it through headphones, feeling as if I was in the room with her when she recorded those songs. It was much more personal an experience than hearing her voice on the radio.

Then one New Year's Eve, while I was in college, they played Funny Girl on tv. I'd never seen it until then! Sure enough, there was the man carrying the woman up the stairs in their new mansion as she sang "Sadie Sadie, married lady..."

Although I had loved this woman as far back as I could remember, here I was watching a girl who seemed to be about my age, and I fell in love all over again. It's a feeling I've come to recognize, most strongly when I first saw her in concert. Performing live, in the same (large) room. I couldn't take my eyes off her. She sounded as if she was singing only to me. It felt as if I had just discovered her. Sitting on the green vinyl car seat. Unwrapping a stick of gum.

I was 13 years old and heard the 'Star is Born' soundtrack. It was incredible. I think I listened to the record for about 3 months before I saw the movie. It was my first time at an R rated movie when I finally saw it. I think the next album I got was 'Superman' on 8-track...8-track tapes, how things have changed...

I remember A Star is Born was shown on TV once a year from 1977 on and it was my escape from abuse as a child. In 1980 I became a hard core collector and Streisand scholar.

My mother brought into our house an album with Barbara looking at the water on the beach. She was barefoot and had a pink and white striped shirt, with white peddle pushers. I was about 8 years old. When I saw The Way We Were, I fell head over heels in love with Hubble. When I was 20 and married and my daughter was about two, Cabin Fever was not only my favorite song but my mood. I constantly wanted to wear my husband's clothes. I remember playing one after another, Superman, Songbird, A Star is Born, and something with the Bee Gees, over and over all day long... I became obsessed with her. My favorite scenes, I have many, the purple dress in 'Hello Dolly' when she is in the park and she is singing and walking to the parade, Love it, next is the top hat in On a Clear Day You can See for Ever", The blue beads in her hair in "Funny Girl", sitting on that chaise lounge trying NOT to be seduced by Omar Shariff. Her nails on Kris Kristopherson's back kissing him saying I hate you, and he just keeps saying "I Love You". The song at the end of that movie breaks me down. I have a dvd collection of Streisand movies, concerts and cd's. I still have her vinyl, scratched, worn casings, I will never give them up. She will reign forever as my favorite actor, singer and songwriter. I sing her songs at the top of my lungs, very off key, but very loud and with the utmost enthusiasm. She is the passion, perfectly expressed, that I only can dream of achieving. Oh did I mention Yentl??? Prince of Tides... Nuts...The Mirror has two faces....I love you Barbra, you will always reign superb and supreme with me. I forgot to say my favorite song, People, The Way We Were, Tell Him, Duet with Ol Blue eyes, I've got a Crush on You, Judy Garland's Happy Days are Here Again. My Heart Belongs to Me. When i became a fan, every time I sing her songs and see her movie's.

I became fan when I saw in the cinema "Yentl". Since him it was a dream to see Barbra live. In 2007 I left this dream in Berlin!!!!!!! Since him I am still away even more there and. Their voice is unique. I can hardly describe it... I always get creeps when I hear them...
Sijora
I can hardly expect it, until her new CD comes out...

1971. What a year! My mother used to listen to an “Easy Listening” radio station on FM (at that time) Stereo. She was also a Streisand fan and Barbra’s first greatest hits album was always lingering around the house. Why did I choose you… and so on, is a MUST, add it to your collection. Anyways I heard the fabulous and funky “Stony End” and started to wonder, who the singer was. It was hard to define whether she was black or white. AND THAT’S WHAT GOT ME HOOKED! She didn’t sound like anybody I heard before. So, the story goes on and on but I don’t want to bore you stiff. I love this place. It’s cool.

Hey Lynne, is that a picture of you with Barbra?!? How did that happen? Jeepers if you were that close then it doesn't get any better does it?

I think my post was lost too from another post site where I spoke of being a child of severe abuse and then hearing Barbra on the radio one day as a child and it taking me to a more beautiful place. Did anyone ever see this post????? If not I will retell my story if you care to hear it.

Bought the single of Evergreen age 16 and played it 13 times in a row on my first stereo. Drove the rest of the family "Nuts"
Have never ever played a record so many times on the trot!
But it has been love ageless and evergreen ever since.

well was told of a band called the Bee Gees. and i was like, well who r they? so i googleed them and fell in love. threw that love i found a unique litte song called. "GUILTY" and i was in 0.0 shock! that voice! that face! that Sole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so i went barbracrazy and looked up ever page of her in existence. spent atleast 2 years learning about her. and found funny girl.

i never was into modern music and so i started a record album collection. i was walking threw a fle market and POP!!!! my name is BARBRA! with this 20 year old angel on a record. I GASPED!!!! and more than 50 people turned and started at me!!!!!!!!!!~ i didnt care one bit!!! my first babrbra album!!

within 3 years i had all her origional records. ask me any of them and i got it!!! i swear! now i just gotta work on getting all the CD's.

StreisandLoveLand

i've been a fan since age 5 when the 1994 concert aired on HBO

My first true love lived in an apartment in San Francisco with two other guys. He had red hair and blue eyes and a subtle Southern accent. I was thunderstruck. But he missed the greenery of the south. His window looked out on an alley. Along came his birthday. I resolved to surprise him. While he was at work, I built a window box for him, set it outside his window and put some beautiful flowers in it. While I was doing that, his room mate played an album I'd never heard before: Streisand Superman. The title song starts out so sweetly but reaches a crescendo that perfectly captures the way you feel when you fall so completely in love that you want to just run out into the street and,well,hold the highest possible note you can sing for about 20 seconds while an orchestra dances around you.

He came home that night and my gift did the trick. He was mine. The lights went out and the album went on.

I admit it may be because I associate it with those events, but I still think that it is one of her best albums.

I was raised listening to Barbra. That was 40 years ago, and I still listen to her and think she is the greatest female vocalist. So, I guess I have my father to blame!!

It was 1963. I was 18. I saw her on Jack Parr's late night show, I think.

I was hooked........
for life . . . .

Then i went to Korvette's and got the album . . .and the rest .as they say....is..................
historectomy . . . .

The tune by the way was . . .Harold Arlen's and Truman Capote's

A Sleepin' Bee . . from House Of Flowers . .what a day that was!!!!!!!!!

That Orig. cast album hangs in my living room nailed to the wall . . . I've yet to nail
Ms. Streisand to the wall . . . cannot decide with album cover says it all.......

that's been a tough decision over the years .........................

come to think of it...it STILL amazes that Andrew Lloyd Weber gave her the songs
FIRST from Sunset Blvd to sing on an album years ago . . . she was the first one to do them.

ps. I also saw her in Funny Girl in New York. . . . . . . . . who knew?

As I grew up my mother enjoyed Barbra a great deal, but really she didn't have any records. I just thought Barbra of was my parent's generation. But when I was in high school, Barbra came out with a song that crossed over into the pop world, Stoney Inn. I really liked the song and bought the album. The rest is sort of typical Barbra history. I was buying all her albums, one by one and playing them until they snapped, crackled, and popped with scratches. I drove each and every roommate crazy from Freshman year of college until I finally got a single as a Junior.

Eventually, I owned each and every album and, as technology changed, I was forced to convert to cassett and then CD's. She inspired me in college to the point I thought up a storyline that I thought might challenge her in playing the leading role in a movie version. What would happen if someone had the natural gift and talents of Barbra but didn't have the drive or confidence to do anything about it? What would life had been if Barbra never gone to New York City to find her destiny.

With each new album she released, I expanded the story until it was finally written, after 33 years, as a novel of fiction. Her music has inspired me to find some hidden talent in myself to dare to dream. As a result, there is a book now out there inspired by Ms. Streisand--When I Dream. Her music and life have been an example allowing me to achieve a dream of my own. My great thanks to Ms. Streisand--Thank you the hours of pleasure listening to your voice and pushing me to find something undiscovered in myself.

Robin

hi everyone. i'm Maya,i'm from Georgia,i don't know if you know something about my qountry it's near Russia and Turkey,last year we have war with Russia...i'm talking about it because i live so far from US and it's amazing to know about barbra and love her... i'm 29 years old and i became her fan very very early,in childhood )) in the school everyone was listening "Take That " and " It's seventeen " and music like these,but i liked Barbra & Pavarroti ) i loved her movies so much,first movie which i sow was " Funny Girl" , everyone knew about my love to Barbra and always presented me for my Birhdays Barbra's cd-s,i was so happy,now i have opportunity to buy cd-s,i have friend in US and she always sends me new cd-s...it's my small story,my drem is to write to Barbra my feels and how i love her and how i dream to see her )) God bless you ...

When? When I first heard Barbra's voice. I knew then that she was the greatest female singer in the world!

I know EXACTLY the moment that it happened.
I was 8 yrs old. Funny Girl. Don't know how I got there or who I was with. I only remember Barbra. If course, the opening scene: "Hello Gorgeous" got my attention- but it was the last scene. Her singing "My Man." The camera did a close up on her eyes. That was all it took. Can't say that it was the singing, (which is the best in the world we all already know), but I know it was her eyes. They look like cat eyes to me. I couldn't stop staring at her. It was like I could see inside her soul- and, by the way, it is very pretty in there, for some reason, very famililiar- maybe we knew each other in another life! lol Well, they say the eyes are the window of the soul right? This will sound Nuts, but I swear it's true: When I met her and she got close to my face talking to me and was looking at me- I was staring at her eyes, and as G-d is my witness, I heard "Mi Premiere Chamsom" and "Lost inside of you!" (which is the same song). It sounded really loud, but I know it was in my head, it freaked me out, lol, but I thought that was really weird because when I think back, Barbra's music was probably the first songs that I really listened to and fell in love with as a kid, so I think it was kinda weird that I would hear that song that day. 'My First Song". And I couldn't focus on what she was asking me because I kept hearing that damn song! lol, I probably came across as really weird at that moment- oh well, I couldn't tell her that, so I tried to focus on what she was saying and bring myself back to the moment. But that kind of shook me up. True story. I am a very visual and auditory type person- but NO, FYI: I do not hear voices! lol I discovered her music not long after I saw Funny Girl, but not too far from that day. I'm bad with time, estimating I mean.
That's why even today, I enjoy looking at her interviews so much- I like her eyes. lol I just finished watching the Elle long version interview again. I'm glad she took the wig off and showed her real hair in the end. I like her natural look. I like when she looks like herself and not a character. But she did well with the wig, it was very pretty too- I think she can really play Sarah Bernhardt if she wants to. I would really enjoy that biopic. But not really sure how they would get past that creepy thing Sarah had of sleeping in a coffin- I don't like that part. lol.