Happy Birthday Barbra Streisand, celebrating her 81st birthday today and doesn’t mind you knowing about it

She has had a glittering career that has spanned sixty years, from an earnest musician in the 60’s through to being one of the few performers in the world to earn the hallowed EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). She even, whether she wanted to or not, gave rise to the phrase the “Streisand Effect,” the concept that the harder to try to keep something from public knowledge, the more interested the public are going to be. But celebrated US performer Barbra Streisand turns 81 today, as Peopleworld sinks a few more coffees to stay up and see what she has planned for her special occasion.

How do we know for certain there is going to be a big bash? We don’t, but a persistent sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) combined with some of the parties that the A Star Is Born actress has had in yesteryear, we’re keeping eagle eyed on a momentous occasion such as an 81st. Even if it’s another low-key (nee: muted) affair such as her 80th last year, the celebrity spotting is still a who’s who akin to a film premiere at Leicester Square.

Last year, alongside husband James Brolin and his son, Academy award nominee Josh Brolin, Streisand could boast attendees to her birthday such as Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson making their way up the driveway to Streisand’s Malibu home - the same location that led to the advent of the “Streisand Effect” back in 2003. A tasteful, quiet soiree with family and close friends - sounds like a very measured event for the performer. 

Contrast last year though with celebrations for her 70th birthday in 2012; once again taking place in her Malibu home, Streisand hosted guests including Steven Spielberg, Pierce Brosnan and Warren Beatty, with Streisand reportedly performing at her own party and a fireworks display over the ocean to round the proceedings out. 

Still seems rather muted for a performer of the magnitude of the original Funny Girl? Then let’s wind the clock back to her 60th birthday for the bells and whistles you expected from a diva such as Barbra Streisand then…

Barbra Streisand's 60th birthday party in 2002 was a star-studded event held at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The party reportedly featured a "retrospective" of Streisand's career, with performances by many of her famous friends and collaborators.

The event was attended by a who's who of Hollywood and the music industry, including Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Beatty, and Celine Dion. The guest list also included many of Streisand's former co-stars, including Robert Redford, Omar Sharif, and Kris Kristofferson.

The evening featured a series of musical performances paying tribute to Streisand, including duets by Kristin Chenoweth and Andrea Bocelli, and a performance of "The Way We Were" by Barbra Streisand and Marvin Hamlisch. A highlight of the night was reportedly a surprise appearance by Frank Sinatra, who sang "Happy Birthday" to Streisand.

The party was considered one of the most lavish and star-studded events of its kind, with a reported cost of $10 million. The celebration was broadcast on television as a two-hour special titled "Barbra Streisand: Timeless - Live in Concert," which aired on Fox in 2001.

So if we were to take our eyes off the prize and miss something happening at Barbra’s Malibu home to the magnitude of her 60th, then yes - that FOMO will no doubt be lingering until her 82nd Birthday next year.