It's not an exaggeration to say that my life changed the first time I heard the voice of Barbra Streisand. Something in that timbre and the expressive richness behind it woke up my musical senses like nothing else ever had. The only other experience quite so transforming for me would happen years later, when I finally succumbed to the power of opera and discovered the phenomenon of Maria Callas.
Even as my own world moved professionally from pop to classical, my fixation on Streisand never waned, and I get nostalgic about her every April 24, her birthday. I refuse to believe she has turned 68 today. That's just a number, after all. This singer -- excuse me, this actress who sings -- is obviously timeless. Over the years, I've regretted some of the musical choices Streisand has made, but the vocal talent has remained a source of wonder and inspiration for me decade after decade.