At the beginning of her career, Barbra Streisand was encouraged to alter her name to Barbara Sands.
In six continuous decades, the 79-year-old diva, the only artist ever to have a first record, refused to remove Streisand from her name on a stage, but erased an A from her Barbara name to make her nickname more distinctive.
“What did I think? No. Streisand is my name. Streisand is my name. I don’t want to change that.”
Barbra also refused to include ‘Sweet and Saucy Streisand’ as her debut album, instead of choosing to label the record, ‘The Barbra Streisand Album,’ released in February 1963.
“They wanted me to be called ‘Sweet and Saucy Streisand’ for my first record,” she said. “Staring Jimmy Fallon Tonight Show.” Nor am I overly cunning or too kind.
“The album of Barbra Streisand. That is what it is. That is what it is. You know. You know.”
The hitmaker of ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers’ is set to finish his biography, but the actress and singer don’t want to film her before she dies.