EXCLUSIVE: Barbra Streisand's Final Bow? Iconic Singer May 'Never Perform in Front of a Crowd Again' Due to Horrific Battle With Stage Fright
Barbra Streisand may never perform again as she struggles with a horrific battle with stage fright.
July 29 2025, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Diva Barbra Streisand will never sing again – on stage, that is, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
"Just the idea of performing in front of a crowd makes her feel sick and wobbly," a source said.
The 83-year-old legend has been prone to stage fright for decades, and it's rearing its head again – even though she has a new studio album, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two, to promote.
Barbra's Fear
Paul McCartney joins Barbra Streisand on her new album, but stage fright keeps her off the tour map.
It features duets with her and Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Sting, Josh Groban and others.
"She can't possibly go on stage now," shared the source.
Her terror at performing live can be traced to a 1967 incident during a free concert at New York's Central Park. As she describes in her 970-page memoir, My Name is Barbra, she forgot the words to When the Sun Comes Out mid-song.
"She stood there stunned, motionless and terrified as the audience stared at her, waiting for her to continue," said the source. "She did, in fact, get through it, but it left a permanent scar."
Since then, she has used a teleprompter in case she ever blanks on the words to a tune again, but she's still scared and now refuses to step on stage, according to the source.
Bob Dylan is also featured in Streisand's latest release as she vows never to sing live again.
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So even though she's very proud of the new album, her phobia means she won't be singing any of the songs in front of an audience, said the insider. "She enjoyed working with all these wonderful performers, but she's adamantly against booking any tour dates."
The source said despite all her bluster and brash public statements, at heart she's an extremely shy person – and her stage fright is a result of that.
Her refusal to appear in concert will no doubt "disappoint tons of fans and the record execs, but no amount of money will coerce Barbra into doing what she doesn't want to do," added the insider.
Streisand confirmed this when she was recently asked if she'll tour again.
"Oh, God. I doubt it," she told Variety. "There's a little part of me that may consider that. But the other part of me goes, why?"
