Barbra Streisand Talks Judy Garland in New Memoir

In her new memoir, 'My Name Is Barbra,' the legendary icon opens up about everyone -- including Judy Garland.

By Hugh McIntyre on November 7, 2023 @popbanghugh

On November 7, one of the most highly-anticipated celebrity memoirs in recent memory finally arrived — years after it was first teased — and it’s chock full of tales the LGBTQ community will surely salivate over.

Barbra Streisand’s book My Name Is Barbra arrived in stores on Tuesday, and it took up a lot of space. The memoir comes in at just under 1,000 pages, which makes it an intimidating read for anyone who doesn’t identify as a super fan of the EGOT winner.

The book covers her decades in the spotlight, and she touches on many of the songs, shows, and movies that people still remember and love to this day.

Ahead of the release of My Name Is Barbra, People shared several excerpts that should get any Streisand lover — and even those who don’t already identify as such — interested in the book.

One short snippet published by the magazine shows the superstar speaking of her relationship with another gay icon — Judy Garland.

The two singers and actors spent some time together during their time as stars, but they are perhaps best remembered for their performance of a medley of “Happy Days Are Here Again / Get Happy” on Garland’s TV variety show.

If you haven’t that duet, check it out below, as it’s required viewing for all gay men.

Here is the excerpt in full:

“People were looking for some sort of rivalry between us. And when they couldn’t find anything, they made it up. I found Judy to be completely generous. We sang a medley of songs, taking turns, and she wasn’t just focused on herself. She watched me and responded to me. She would reach out and brush back a strand of my hair, like a mother. And Judy’s own daughter, Liza Minnelli, says that her mother’s first reaction on hearing me sing was to say, ‘I’m never going to open my mouth again.’ She was like that, very self‑deprecating. And deeply vulnerable.

“Judy and I became friends. We spoke on the phone, and she came to one of the rare parties I gave at my New York apartment (four in thirty‑five years). I think she arrived late. And I remember her saying something I never quite understood: ‘Don’t let them do to you what they did to me.’ I should have asked her what she meant, but I didn’t want to appear too nosy.

Six years after we did [The Judy Garland Show], she was dead at the age of forty‑seven. What a tragedy . . . and such a loss. She was an extraordinary talent.”