On Sunday, April 24, Barbra Streisand celebrates her 80th birthday. A superstar of stage, screen, song and more, the Brooklyn, New York-born Streisand is one of the few performers who can boast achieving a career EGOT — that is, winning at last one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award.
Barbra's fame came quickly: The powerhouse singer won two Grammys for her debut album, 1963's The Barbra Streisand Album.
She garnered more acclaim with her portrayal of comedian/singer/actress Fanny Brice in the hit 1964 Broadway musical Funny Girl, then went on to win a Best Actress Oscar when she reprised the role in the 1968 film adaptation.
Her musical achievements are too numerous to name, but here's a select list:
–Her 11 number-one albums on the Billboard 200 chart is a record for a female artists.
–She has scored five chart-topping singles on the Billboard Hot 100: 1973's "The Way We Were"; 1976's "Evergreen"; the 1978 Neil Diamond duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers"; her 1979 collaboration with Donna Summer, "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"; and 1980's "Woman in Love."
–Her 10 total Grammy Awards include a Lifetime Achievement Award and a Grammy Legend honor.
–She has sold an estimated 150 million records worldwide.
–She won a second Academy Award, a Best Original Song honor, for co-writing "Evegreen," from the 1976 version of A Star Is Born.
Streisand has starred in many films during her long career, including the aforementioned Funny Girl and Evergreen, but she made movie history in 1983 with Yentl, becoming the first woman ever to write, direct, produce and star in a major studio production. She's gone on to direct two more movies — 1991's The Prince of Tides and 1996's The Mirror Has Two Faces.
Barbra's other accolades include a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as well as being recognized by the Kennedy Center Honors.
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