June 6, 2010
It happened exactly 50 years ago today. On June 6, 1960, Barbra Streisand entered a talent contest at "The Lion" in New York and won first prize: a two week engagement at the club and a salary of $50 a week. For the first time in her life, this aspiring young performer was being paid to sing. Her extraordinary journey as a professional entertainer had begun.

Over the course of the next half-century, Barbra Streisand's vocal gift would touch the hearts of millions across the globe.

According to a source close to Barbra's management, her team has chosen to acknowledge the signing of her first contract with Columbia Records (in 1962) as the real start of her career. So, we'll just have to wait until 2012 for Barbra and the media world to officially acknowledge her 50 years in show business.

That being said, history can not be rewritten. Barbra Streisand received her first paycheck as a performer at "The Lion" on June 6, 1960. That date, as far as we, and many other fans are concerned, was her first day on the job, a job she's been handling with grace and perfection for exactly 50 years. So we choose to mark 2010 as Barbra's unofficial Golden Jubilee in show business and congratulate her on achieving this most impressive career milestone.

But of course we'll be there in 2012, too, with party hats and streamers, ready to celebrate Barbra's equally important 50th anniversary as a recording artist.