Barbra Streisand Reminisces About 'Happy Days' Duet With Judy Garland

By: Dec. 20, 2012
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1963 was a busy year for Barbra Streisand. She released her debut album to the world, 'Barbra Joan Streisand', and was readying the classic movie-musical Funny Girl. Yet, that year she joined another well known performer, Judy Garland, to perform two songs on her variety show, 'The Judy Garland Show', and to introduce the world to the seamless melding of Get Happy and Happy Days Are Here Again, a duet with Judy Garland. Of the epic performance, Vanity Fair reports Barbra elucidating Garland's feelings during the duet:

"She was holding my hand and I thought, "Gee, she seems nervous." At that time, I wasn't nervous. I was still very young, I think, about to do Funny Girl, and now, when I think back on it, I think, "Oh, my God, I know exactly what she's feeling." Or, you know, the fears. It's like, as you get older and people are kind of looking for you to fail more, I think-not people, not the audience-but, you know, critics or producers or whatever. And I just felt her. I felt her anxiety. . . . Part of me is much more relaxed than I've ever been, less frightened, less anxious. On the other hand, it's a coming-of-age-thing, and she was much younger than I am, but there are things with careers. . . . I just understand the anxiety even though in a sense I'm calmer. It's a dichotomy. It's hard to explain. . . . You wonder, "Well, do I give it up? Do I retire? Or do I get more in before my time is up?"."

Streisand is one of the most successful and heralded performers of our time. With more than 50 albums recorded and international sales upward of 140 million, she has continued to captivate audiences worldwide with her prolific career. She is one of the few entertainers who has won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award. Coupled with her mainstream, pop success she has maintained a commitment to the Broadway community producing musical films such as Yentl, Funny Girl, Funny Lady, Hello, Dolly!, A Star Is Born, and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Also, she starred on Broadway in Funny Girl and I Can Get It For You Wholesale. Recently she released a compilation of her favorite unreleased and rare songs, Release Me. Also, her movie Guilt Trip with Seth Rogen is in movie theatres now!


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