Barbra Streisand hasn’t stopped working since launching her professional singing career 65 years ago in New York City.
The first performer to earn EGOT status, Streisand’s legacy spans music, theater, film and television.
Now 83, Streisand is releasing “The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume Two,” a collection of duets with Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Laufey, Hozier, Sam Smith, James Taylor, Sting, Tim McGraw and Josh Groban. Both Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey join her on “One Heart, One Voice.”
“The Secret of Life” comes not even two years after she published her massive 970-page memoir, “My Name Is Barbra,” which was accompanied by 48-hour audiobook that she read. She is also in production of a multi-part documentary about her life directed by Frank Marshall.
Even so, Streisand insists, “I’m very lazy. I don’t like to have to work.”
She adds, “I like to be free. I don’t like to have commitments.”
Streisand credits Jay Landers, her longtime producing partner and A&R executive for over 30 years, for convincing her to record new albums. “I always wanted to end my career, my movie career doing ‘Gypsy,’” Streisand says. “That would’ve been the book end to my ‘Funny Girl’ play. I couldn’t get that done. Time goes so fast. Time is so precious that when Jay talked about this, I thought, ‘This is a good idea.’
“And then working with two wonderful producers, Peter Asher and Walter Afanasieff,” she continues. “Then Jay and I became the executive producers because I have to approve everything. That’s the way it was with me at the beginning, and that’s the way it is with me at the ending.”
I talked to Streisand for this week’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast.
Hi, Barbra.
Hi, I’m so happy to read this article. [Streisand is referencing my essay about having open-heart surgery at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. The Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center is located at the hospital.]
Thank you, but don’t make me cry.
What a lovely thing that my heart center could help you.
Now every time I go to cardio rehab, I see your name on the door because that’s where your center’s offices are. But now we have to talk about you.
Wait, wait. What do you have to do when you go there?
I’m on a treadmill and a bike connected to a heart monitor and I slowly increase resistance when I can.
It makes me happy to hear your story, really. OK, what do you want to know about my record?
What comes first, the song or the duet partner?
The song. The music and the lyrics, and then the partner. They brought me people that were just superb. Everyone was different and yet marvelous.
I was listening to “To Lose You Again” with Sam Smith, the lyrics and the two of your voices, I sat there and I cried.
You must have had a relationship like that.
When you are singing a song like that, are you thinking about someone?
I don’t think I had something like that, which is someone you had a close relationship to and they want you to try again and you say, “I can’t do it again.” You know what? I don’t know. I have to make myself that person. I have to think of what that would feel like. It’s complicated.
Is it easy to go to that space? Some of these songs, they’re not happy endings.
They make the best songs. The sadness of it. The what-could-have-been songs. They’re very emotional.
They are songs about grieving the fantasy that didn’t happen.
That’s what happens when you have a love affair and it doesn’t end up together. It’s very, very sad. If I remember correctly, [“To Lose You Again”] is one of the earlier ones I sang. I never listen to my records after I make them.
Never?
No, I don’t.
What happens if you’re driving in a car, you have the radio on, a Barbara Streisand song comes on, do you listen or do you turn it off?
No, I don’t think I’d go that far. As a matter of fact, when I hear something that I recorded like 20 years ago, I’m just evaluating the sound of the orchestra with the voice. That the voice is too loud, too little. When I finish, like this record, I don’t listen to it until like years later. It gives me another perspective. I don’t watch my movies. I don’t listen to my records.
You have Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey singing with you on “One Heart, One Voice.” How did you decide on the two?
They’re the hottest, biggest, most wonderful voices. And they both said yes to join me.
It was just announced that Ariana is going to be in the new “Meet the Parents.”
You’re kidding.
Will we see Roz Focker again?
She’s going to play Roz Focker?
No, I want to know if you are going to play Roz. Not Ariana.
That’s very funny.
That would be interesting casting.
Oh my God. They’d have to pay me a lot of money because I didn’t get paid what the other people got paid and so I’m pissed off. I was in the time when women were getting paid less than the men. The head of Universal was Ron Meyer at the time, and he actually sent me a bonus check. It was very sweet.
Did you see “Wicked” with Ariana?
I showed it to my grandchildren…They loved “Wicked.”
Did you?
I was just watching their reaction and they were totally fine with the witches. I was surprised. A four- and a six-year-old, you know?
How often do serious acting offers come your way?
I get a lot of offers, but they’re funny offers. Well, one was good. It was something that Peter Bogdanovich was going to do and Guillermo del Toro sent it to me, I think. It’s a subject that I actually love, but I’m not going to tell you. I’m not ready to direct again. I think I’ve probably had it.
Tell me about the title of the album.
I sang a song with James Taylor, who wrote the song, “Secret O’ Life,” about the passage of time, appreciating the passage of time. As I get older, I am appreciating the passage of time. So that means a lot.
With a new album, does that mean maybe you’ll perform live again?
Oh, God. I doubt it. But there’s a little part of me that may consider that. But the other part of me goes, why?
Before we go, I have to ask you, who should the Democrats pick for 2028?
Boy, that’s a really hard question. I can’t answer that. That’s complicated. We feel complicated. I feel the world is in chaos. Our country is the worst of the chaos, I think. I’m so sad for what’s happening. So sad.
Do you think we’ll see a woman president in your lifetime?
I don’t know about in my lifetime, but certainly in my son’s lifetime. Boy, I’ll tell you a story — the other day I was on my Pilates table, and somehow my phone was playing music. I don’t know why because it usually doesn’t. Usually, I have the news on. And I hear this voice, a man’s voice, and I thought, “My God! Hitting these incredible notes and what a song. Very interesting song.” And I said, “Who is singing? Can someone find out who is singing on my phone right now?” You know who it turned out to be? My son, Jason. Can you imagine? I mean, hitting these notes. Well, I had to call him and say, “What the hell, Jason?” I couldn’t believe this. I know his voice is brilliant, but you know who wrote the song even? It was by my friend, Quincy Jones. It was the theme from “The Pawn Broker.”
If I’m remembering correctly, you brought him up on stage at the Hollywood Bowl.
Oh, right. When he walked around that, was there water there? I wouldn’t dare walk around. It was so cold, I thought, “I’m going to fall right into this hole.” Isn’t he wonderful?
Yeah, he’s your son.
Well, yeah, but he’s very much like me in the sense that he’s shy, not really liking to perform in front of people. That’s why I love recording. I’m alone. I can look like a schlump. I don’t have to put on makeup, I don’t have to perform. I can just sing. And I love doing that. I love recording. I’m at home in a recording studio.
This conversation was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to it in its entirety on “Just for Variety” above or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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