Barbra Streisand, 81, has left an impressive mark on the music industry with her epic talent. The singer is set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 SAG Awards, which will premiere on Netflix on February 24, but her career is not the only thing she has to be proud of. She is also a doting mother to her only biological child, son Jason Gould, 57, whom she shares with her ex-husband Elliott Gould.
Despite having a very famous mother, Jason prefers to keep a low profile. “I sort of like being out of the spotlight,” he told PEOPLE in 2017. He’s still experienced some time in the spotlight when he was introduced to the entertainment industry at a young age.
Find out more about Jason below.
Barbra Streisand Has One Son
Barbra and her former husband Elliott welcomed Jason on December 29, 1966 before they split in 1971. The “Evergreen” crooner admitted it was a surprise when she found out she was pregnant because she thought she couldn’t have kids.
“The news was a shock. For years I had honestly thought there was something wrong with me because I had never gotten pregnant. Having a baby seemed like something for other women, not for me,” she wrote in her memoir, My Name Is Barbra.
Jason Gould Worked as a Childhood Actor
After being born to a mom who was well known to the world, Jason went on to try acting. His first role was in the 1972 film Up the Sandbox. He then took a break before appearing in one episode of The Bronx Zoo in 1988. He went onto appear in other films and series, including 1989’s Say Anything… and alongside his mom in 1991’s The Prince of Tides.
“When I was a kid I couldn’t go anywhere without photographers in our face,” Jason told SF Gate in 2000, when talking about some of his acting. “I don’t like cameras snapping in my face. It’s like being attacked. That’s one reason I kind of laid low [since making The Prince of Tides]. Because I don’t like that kind of attention, I really don’t. I don’t like fame and what goes with that. I grew up in it.”
Jason Gould Came Out to His Parents in the 1980s
Jason came out as gay to his parents in the 1980s and spoke out after a tabloid claimed he married a man in 1991. “It was just so grotesque to me that they could make up a story like that and claim they had seen pictures of my wedding to a man,” he told SFGate. “And then print this story even though I deny it.”
“I never was hiding the fact that I was gay,” he continued. “I never felt like I needed to come out because I never felt like I was in, you know? I’m pretty comfortable with my sexuality.”
Jason Gould Started Singing in 2012
Jason joined his mother on her tour in 2012 and sang “How Deep in the Ocean.” Being able to sing in front of her thousands of fans came as a shock to him. “I honestly didn’t know if I could do it,” he told PEOPLE. “I had never performed in front of anybody so going from zero to like 18,000 people was quite a challenge.”
Barbra also praised her son’s singing talents in a 2014 interview with PEOPLE. “When he was 15, I heard him through the door, and I brought it up that the humming was such a beautiful sound,” she said. “He said, ‘Mom, just go away!’ Imagine him having this beautiful voice and not using it because he was afraid of the comparison [with me]. But then he said, ‘My need to express myself was greater than my fear.’ That’s courage.”
Jason Gould Has Released His Own Music
Jason released a self-titled EP in 2012 and an album called Dangerous Man in 2017. He’s also been involved in several music collaborations, including some with Barbra. His latest song, “Laws of Desire,” was released on January 26, 2024. He also released an official music video, which can be seen above.
“Music has phenomenal healing power,” Jason once said. “It speaks to the heart. So many people have found a sense of acceptance and belonging through music. So absolutely — that’s all I really care about in the end.”