2005: A Year Filled With Guilty Pleasures

December 31, 2005
Another exciting year has come to an end. Film, music and television: Barbra did it all in '05, and she was on the promotion circuit to make sure everyone knew it. In one of the busiest years is recent memory for Barbra, we look back at some of the key events of 2005.
 

"Meet the Fockers" January 1 "Meet the Fockers" was in theatres coast to coast, breaking house records and firmly reasserting Barbra's status as a top box-office draw.

With Ernest Lehman July 2 We noted the passing of Ernest Lehman, the man who produced the film version of "Hello, Dolly!".

Guilty August 30 To celebrate its 25th anniversary and with much fanfare, Columbia records re-released the Barbra Streisand-Barry Gibb mega album, "Guilty". The newly re-mastered release of this 1975 classic heralded the brand new sequel album, "Guilty Pleasures," scheduled to hit record stores in September.

Guilty Pleasures September 20 "Guilty Pleasures" was released, and Barbra began promoting the new album. Her first stop was an interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC's Primetime Live.

With Ellen Degeneres October 1 Barbra made a rare singing appearance at the MGM Garden in Las Vegas. The occasion was a fundraiser for the Andre Agassi charitable foundation. Barbra performed three songs. 24 Barbra's second big promotional appearance for "Guilty Pleasures" was a daytime television sit-down with talk show host, Ellen Degeneres. The interview was insightful, fun and a little bit off-beat.

"The Television Specials" November 4 We noted the passing of Sheree North, who shared the stage with Barbra in "I Can Get If For You Wholesale." 8 A surprising Streisand single from 1967 showed up on a holiday compilation album. The song was "Ave Maria", sung by Barbra in English, a version of the song many fans never even knew existed. 22 November proved to be a delight for fans of Barbra's early years. The complete five episode box-set of Barbra's earliest television specials was finally released on DVD. Included were the releases of "Belle of 14th Street" and "Musical Instruments" for the first time in any video format.

Marvin Hamlisch hosts "My Name Is Barbra" on PBS December 4 PBS aired "My Name Is Barbra" over its syndicated stations around the country. This was the first time the award winning Streisand special had been seen on television since its original CBS broadcasts in the '60s. Marvin Hamlisch was on hand for the occasion at the PBS studio in New York, and during the live pledge breaks, he spoke candidly about Barbra and the many projects they worked on throughout the years. 26 We noted the passing of Vincent Schiavelli, who portrayed the scene-stealing supermarket clerk in "For Pete's Sake."