The Legendary Barbra Streisand Quiz

Answer: April 24, 1942

Barbra Joan Streisand was born in New York City to Diana and Emanuel Streisand. Her father died shortly after her first birthday. She has a brother and a half-sister. She changed her first name to Barbra when she was eighteen because she was rebellious and hated Barbara, yet she only removed the 'a' to be unique.

Answer: Brooklyn

Barbra Streisand was born and grew up father-less and poor in Brooklyn while living with her mother. She would often sing around the apartment building where she lived and became known as the 'voice' of the neighborhood. She was a student at Erasmus High School where she met and became friends with Neil Diamond in music class.

After graduating from high school, despite her mother's pleas, she entered show business and received her first audition in 1960.

Answer: Jewish

Barbra Streisand's parents were first generation Americans from Jewish backgrounds, descendants of immigrants from Galicia (Poland-Ukraine) and Russia. At the age of five Barbra first attended a Jewish Orthodox school in Brooklyn, but when she became older switched to public schools.

Answer: Elliott Gould

Barbra Streisand married Elliott Gould in 1963 and they divorced in 1971. Elliott Gould is an actor in both films and television. He received an Academy Award nomination for his role in "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" (1969). Gould, subsequently starred as Trapper John in the highly successful "M*A*S*H" (1970) movie. They had one child, Jason Gould, who also pursued a career in acting.

Answer: The Tonight Show

"The Tonight Show" is a late-night talk show broadcast by NBC from New York City. Streisand appeared on the program during Jack Paar's absence, who was replaced by Orson Bean for that installment. While on the show Barbra Streisand sang "A Sleepin' Bee", a tune written by Harold Arlen.

Her appearance resulted in additional exposure of her singing talent and was complimented by Phyllis Diller, also a guest that evening.

Answer: True

Barbra Streisand's first album released in 1963 on Columbia Records was "The Barbra Streisand Album". It did win Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Female Vocal Performance and was also admitted to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2006. One of the top tracks on the album is "Happy Days are Here Again". The album is certified Gold, having in excess of 500,000 units sold.

Answer: Funny Girl

Barbra Streisand won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1968 movie, "Funny Girl". Oddly enough, she shared the award with Katherine Hepburn as there was a tie in the voting, a first in the history of this Oscar. It was Streisand's film debut and the movie is based on the life of Broadway star Fanny Brice, a Ziegfeld Follies performer.

Answer: The Way We Were

Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford co-starred in "The Way We Were". The movie is about a tumultuous relationship between a political activist (Streisand) and an writer (Redford). The film featured Sreisand's song of the same which became her first number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

At the 1974 Academy Awards the film won Oscars for Best Original Dramatic Score and Best Original Song.

Answer: Neil Diamond

The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was originally written by Neil Diamond for a daily television sitcom. It was sung by both Diamond and Streisand as singles before they collaborated on a duet version in October of 1978. Unfortunately, the song did not win the Grammy.

Answer: James Brolin

In 1998, Barbra Streisand married James Brolin, 27 years after the end of her first marriage to Elliott Gould. It was Brolin's third marriage. While they do not have any children together, Brolin has three from previous marriages including Josh Brolin, an actor as well. James Brolin has been in the show business industry since 1960.