How would you know if an artist has already “made it?”
It’s when a great artist pays tribute to their work by performing one of their songs.
In 2008, Barbra Streisand showed how iconic and influential her work is.
During the 2008 Kennedy Center Honors, audience members and fans were graced with a performance they’ll never forget.
Barbra Streisand and other artists were honored that year.
The list of recipients included Morgan Freeman, best known for his roles in Shawshank Redemption and Bruce Almighty, Twyla Tharp, a world-renowned choreographer, and Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey from the band The Who.
Streisand and the other awardees received their honors at the State Department.
Then, they celebrated the honor in a star-studded gala the day after.
It was during this gala that the audience was swept away by a performance by no other than one of the greatest artists of her generation – Beyoncé.
Beyoncé hummed the first notes of Streisand’s song “The Way We Were.”
With the spotlight showering on her, Streisand watched the singer with anticipation.
The song was released in 1973 and was the lead song for the album with the same title.
Beyoncé’s rendition was full of power, yet, it was warm and gentle like Streisand’s original version.
The song has always been known to be vocally demanding. It’s a Streisand song, after all.
However, Beyoncé definitely delivered.
Beyoncé, also known as Queen Bey, is one of the biggest singers of her time.
She rose to fame during the 90s during the “band” era where she was part of the R&B girl group Destiny’s Child.
The group produced many hits like “Say My Name,” “No, no, no,” and “Survivor.”
The group disbanded and made their farewell performance in 2006.
It was just the beginning for Beyoncé, however.
She made her name as a solo artist right from her first solo album.
Her first hits were “Crazy in Love,” “Baby Boy,” and “Naughty Girl.”
Her performance of the Streisand classic showed not only her talent but her vocal range as well.
She proved she could serenade the crowd even when her background is mainly hip hop, gospel, and R&B.
People all over the internet loved her performance as well.
“I think Beyoncé pulled off this song beautifully. It must be difficult to sing a Barbra song in front of Barbra. Both are legendary voices,” said one comment.
View this post on Instagram
“Beyoncé doesn’t get enough credit for her vocal prowess. She’s an excellent vocalist. Her technique, tone, and interpretative powers are on par with many of the GOATs (Greatest of All Time),” said another.
But what does Streisand think of this tribute?
Apparently, Beyoncé’s first version didn’t impress them both.
She said in an interview with The Sunday Project, “Well, she first sang it once, and I didn’t think it was good enough, for her.”
View this post on Instagram
“I know she did it over, and she did it beautifully the second time,” she added.
At the end of the day, a great singer singing your song is one of the biggest compliments.
And one of the biggest responses to such a tribute is saying how much you loved it.
Watch Beyonce’s incredible rendition of Streisand’s “The Way We Were” in the video below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
