- Barbra Streisand's reveals anecdote during her encounter with JFK
- She met President Kennedy at the White House Correspondents' dinner
- She broke the rules
In her new memoir, 'My Name Is Barbra,' Streisand recalls the unforgettable encounter with JFK. He had personally requested her to perform at the prestigious event after seeing her on The Dinah Shore Chevy Show. "You must know by now that I can be remarkably blasé about a lot of things, but this was exciting, even for me," she writes.
Breaking the rules!
Streisand, then just 21, graced the stage in a self-designed, gray Empire-style gown. She performed three songs, concluding with "Happy Days Are Here Again," reflecting her joy of having JFK in the White House.
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Following the dinner, performers were instructed to greet the president quickly and move along without asking for autographs. But Streisand, ever the rule-breaker, did just the opposite. JFK complimented her beautiful voice and she cheekily responded, "About as long as you've been president." Then, she asked him to autograph a card for her mother, to which he graciously complied. She thanked him by calling him a "doll," much to the surprise of others.
Looking back, Streisand stands by her compliment, describing JFK as a doll with a captivating glow.
The missing autograph
Sadly, the autographed card was lost by the time Streisand got home. The dinner would be JFK's last White House Correspondents' Dinner, as he was assassinated six months later.
Fast forward to 2008, Streisand was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, further cementing her legacy in the entertainment world.
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