Everyone knows, and most people love, Barbra Streisand. As an incredible singer and actress, Streisand has been one of the most impressive women in the entertainment industry for over 60 years.
But before she was the superstar we know her as today, Barbra was just an ordinary girl who loved to sing. Luckily for Streisand, her mother was also a singer who sometimes performed professionally and even made a few recordings.
In 1955, while on vacation in the Catskills, Barbra Streisand recorded her first-ever song, “You’ll Never Know,” alongside her mother. The young singer was only 13 at the time, but her beautiful voice was already forming.
Of course, at only 13, her voice had not entirely developed into the impressive sound she has today, but it is still beautiful and adorable to listen to.
Streisand was undoubtedly not the first artist to sing “You’ll Never Know; in fact, it was already a famous track that had been covered by a handful of fantastic artists.
Harry Warren and Marc Gordon wrote the song itself in 1943. Warren wrote the music, and Gordon wrote the lyrics, which were based on a poem. And originally sung by Alice Faye, the song won the 1943 Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Over the next 10 years, artists such as Frank Sinatra, Harry James, and Bette Midler all recorded their own renditions of the tune, and it became quite a popular track around the world.
When Barbra sang it at age 13, of course, she had no idea that the track would become a part of her immense library of recorded songs.
But she actually used the song on a box set she released in 1991, Just for the Record. The song on the box set uses a recording of Streisand singing the song in 1988 when she was 45, alongside herself singing it at the young age of 13.
She also dramatized the 1955 recording during her Timeless concert tour in 2000, and you can find a recording on the CD & DVD release: Timeless: Live in Concert.
Today, Streisand fans can also find the original recording of the star singing “You’ll Never Know” in 1955 on YouTube.
And while Barbra has now released 117 singles over her 6-decade-long career and is considered one of the most talented singers and actresses in the business, this track from her youth still holds a special place in many people’s hearts.
Since Streisand sang “You’ll Never Know,” dozens of other artists have sung and recorded their own versions as well.
And while there are certainly debates as to who sang it best, her version will live on as a beautiful and beloved rendition by millions of Streisand fans.
