Barbra Streisand Sang a Duet with Herself 50 Years Ago Today

On March 14, 1971, CBS aired a special titled Singer, fa tribute to the famous composer Burt Bacharach's work, featuring accompaniment by Tom Jones and the dancer Rudolf Nureyev. But the person who stole the show was making her first television appearance in eight years — a young Barbra Streisand.

Streisand, fresh off her Academy Award win for Funny Girl, banters warmly with her friend Bacharach in the clip above before performing a duet with herself on his song "One Less Bell to Answer." 

Later in the special, she talks about her general fear of performance that would become the paralyzing stage fright that has kept her from performing regularly over the years, but she braves it enough to sing a song called "Be Aware," which Bacharach co-wrote specifically for her. 

Andy Hunsaker has a head full of sitcom gags and nerd-genre lore, and can be followed @AndyHunsaker if you're into that sort of thing.