But no matter the personality of particular superstars, there’s always likely to be a clash with fellow artists due to the nature of their job.
Well, that and the fact that many musicians live out their lives in the spotlight, and therefore every movement is scrutinised to the nth degree.
Take the likes of Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion for instance, two of the greatest voices to come out of the 20th century.
Both stars rose to the top of the charts due to the incredible talent they possessed, with Streisand eventually securing the rare EGOT status thanks to her many accolades.
But there was bound to be a time when she and Celine would be up against each other, either in the charts or at an awards ceremony.
And they were, sort of, at the 1997 Academy Awards, in what became a controversial moment between the two that unfolded under the public’s watchful eye.
The mishap was the very reason that Barbra invited Celine to duet on her hit ‘Tell Me’ to bury the hatchet between the two.
Barbra Streisand, Céline Dion – Tell Him (Official Remastered HD Video)
‘Tell Me’ featured on Streisand’s 1997 albums Higher Ground and Let’s Talk About Love, and became a major hit for her on the UK charts, peaking at No.3.
The song was written by hit-makers Walter Afanasieff and David Foster, as well as Foster’s then-wife, Linda Thompson, who previously wrote Whitney Houston’s ‘I Have Nothing’ together.
Its lyrics detail a younger woman who turns to an older woman for advice about her romantic situation, wanting to confess her true feelings towards a man, but needing the encouragement from somebody who’s been there before.
In this case, the former was Celine Dion, with the older woman in question being Barbra Streisand, in what felt like a natural coming together of vocal prowess.
But the duet was the result of a misunderstanding between the two during the Academy Awards in 1997.
Streisand was originally asked to perform her gorgeous ballad ‘I Finally Found Someone’, which she sang with Bryan Adams for her romantic comedy The Mirror Has Two Faces.
It was nominated for Best Original Song, though Barbra turned down the opportunity.
She changed her mind soon after, but by that point, the ceremony organisers reached out to Celine to sing it instead.
The controversy began when Celine stepped on stage, and Barbra walked out to use the restroom.
As expected, the media jumped on Barbra’s absence, saying it was an intentional snub towards Celine, thinking that she considered her a rival.
Streisand contested that she would have returned to watch Dion after visiting the ladies’ room, but was locked out when she tried to re-enter.
She made amends with Celine by sending her a bouquet of flowers and inviting her to sing alongside her on ‘Tell Me’.
Céline DION – I FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE – LIVE OSCARS 1997
Dion recalled how she and Barbra felt after hearing the finished product in her 2001 autobiography My Story, My Dream.
“Barbra sang her part in Los Angeles, and a few days later in New York, I added my voice to hers,” she wrote.
“One evening, after the arrangers and technicians had mixed the song, we listened to it together, Barbra at the Record Plant in Los Angeles, and I at the Hit Factory in New York.
“When it was over, silence fell over the studio. We all were watching the telephone, which took an eternity to ring.
“David answered it,” she continued. “‘It’s for you, Celine.’ It was Barbra calling to say how much she liked my interpretation.”
Barbra was mesmerised at how Celine blended her voice so beautifully with the music and Streisand’s own voice.
She marveled at how Dion was able to blend her voice so well with the music and with Streisand’s own voice.
“I didn’t dare tell her I’d sung with her hundreds and hundreds of times before in my bedroom on the Rue Notre-Dame in Charlemagne,” Dion continued. “I just said I’d been working hard and I trained like an athlete.”
The pair were asked to perform the duet at the Grammy Awards the following year, as it was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
Sadly, Streisand missed the ceremony entirely due to falling ill with the flu.
That wasn’t the only drama to ensue after the song was finally recorded – both of the singer’s labels would dispute over which of the two would release the song as a single.
After coming to no conclusion, ‘Tell Me’ wasn’t released in the US and was only released worldwide, where it charted high in the UK.
Still, at least some good came of a bad situation – not that either Barbra or Celine were to blame.
