And their rumored rivalry.
They’re known as two of the most iconic American performers ever, and they’ve even appeared on stage together — but did Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland have bad blood?
“People were looking for some sort of rivalry between us,” Streisand writes in her highly anticipated memoir, My Name Is Barbra, according to an excerpt shared by People magazine. “And when they couldn’t find anything, they made it up.”
Tabloid fodder aside, Streisand says the pair were actually close friends — and that Garland, who was 20 years her senior, was “completely generous” with her support of the then-rising star. But how did they meet, and what was their relationship like? Streisand’s book and an eye-opening interview with Howard Stern offer fascinating insights into those questions, so let’s dive in.
How did Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland meet?
As Streisand reveals in her memoir, the two first crossed paths in 1963, when she appeared on The Judy Garland Show to sing a medley of “Happy Days are Here Again” and “Get Happy.”
Even though it has been 60 years since that iconic performance, Streisand remembers it well. “We sang a medley of songs, taking turns, and she wasn’t just focused on herself,” she wrote. “She watched me and responded to me. She would reach out and brush back a strand of my hair, like a mother.”
In her interview with Stern, Streisand recalled immediately hitting it off with Garland. “She came from a different background than me, but we still felt each other’s pain,” Streisand said.
She also told Stern that she considers Garland one of the greatest singers of all time (“if not the greatest”), especially after performing alongside her. “I was thrilled to be singing with her. I thought she sang so brilliantly on that show. Much better than me,” she said.
“She still grasped my hand when we were singing together,” Streisand continued. “She was holding on to me, and I saw that she needed support. We became close friends.”
What did they think of their rumored rivalry?
The duo was well aware of their alleged feud, even poking fun at it at the top of their joint performance. (“You’re so good that I hate you,” Garland said before the belting began. Streisand responded: “You’re so great that I’ve been hating you for years.”)
But Streisand remembered Garland as being “kind, truthful, and supportive” from the moment they met, when Streisand was just 21 years old and Garland was 41.
In her book, she said the pair spoke on the phone and Garland came to one of her parties in New York, where she got a harrowing piece of advice. “I remember her saying something I never quite understood: ‘Don’t let them do to you what they did to me,’” Streisand wrote. “I should have asked her what she meant, but I didn’t want to appear too nosy.”
(Streisand acknowledged in her interview with Stern that Garland’s history of addiction was a significant struggle. “She was a child actress, and she was fed all those pills to keep her up and put her to sleep,” she said.)
Then, six years after they performed together, Garland died suddenly at age 47, the result of an accidental barbiturate overdose. “What a tragedy… and such a loss. She was an extraordinary talent,” Streisand lamented.
For more about this iconic friendship and all the huge stars who came into Streisand’s orbit (including an eye-popping story about Marlon Brando), Streisand’s acclaimed memoir is available now — and at nearly 1,000 pages, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into.
