Marty Erlichman, Barbra Streisand’s Longtime Manager, Dies at 97

Marty Erlichman, the talent manager who discovered Barbra Streisand at age 19 and guided her career for more than six decades, has died. He was 97.

Erlichman died Saturday of “age-related causes,” according to a statement from his reps.

“To the world, he was a giant of Hollywood; to us, he was a deeply devoted and loving father, husband, grandfather and rock,” Erlichman’s family said in a statement. “We feel his loss deeply but are endlessly proud of the life he lived and the indelible mark he left on the world.”

Said Streisand: “Although Marty lived a long and full life, nothing can prepare you for the reality of losing someone so dear. I truly thought he would live forever. In my eyes, he was simply indestructible — always by my side, through everything. And we never even had a contract. Marty can never be replaced, and I will be forever grateful for his friendship, loyalty and unwavering support.”

Erlichman discovered Streisand and help guide her from an aspiring New York nightclub singer into a global star, serving as her manager for more than 60 years. He oversaw the business side of her career, negotiating her recording, theater, film, television, licensing and concert agreements.

Erlichman conceived and executive produced Streisand’s concert appearances and tours including her 2000 Millennium Concert and her 2006–07 world tour. He also served as executive producer of her 1994 HBO television special, Barbra: The Concert, which earned him an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award.

Born September 13, 1929, in Brooklyn, New York, Erlichman graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Early in his career, in 1960, he began managing the pioneering Irish folk group The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, whose music went on to influence Bob Dylan. In 1961, Erlichman secured the group a spot on The Ed Sullivan Show. They were supposed to perform only two songs but were given extra time when fellow guest Pearl Bailey failed to appear. The group was allowed to perform for 20 minutes, helped lead to a recording contract with Columbia Records.

That May, Mr. Erlichman went to the Bon Soir nightclub in Greenwich Village to support his friend, comedian Phil Leeds. The opening act was Streisand, who was then 19 years old. Streisand later recalled his enthusiasm for her talent, but she told him she was an actress, and performing as a singer only because she wasn’t landing any acting jobs.

“I remember his response like it was yesterday,” she once recalled. “He told me, ‘If you’re as good an actress as you are a singer, then there’s no stopping you. I just saw you do comedy, drama. You made me laugh, you made me cry. I think you have a big career ahead of you — records, television, theater, movies.’ And then he added, ‘I have the feeling you’re going to win every award in this business, first time out of the box …. the Grammy, the Emmy, the Tony, the Oscar.’”

While she already had a manager, he left his business card and told her to call his office, which in reality was a telephone booth on 53rd Street, if she ever needed advice. She eventually called him to help with salary negotiations for a gig in Detroit after her then-manager failed to secure her a raise. Erlichman was unsuccessful but secretly paid the difference in her weekly salary himself. Streisand hired him soon after.

Erlichman bought out her contract from her previous manager for $750 with a loan from Streisand. “From that point forward, Marty and I worked together for sixty years and never had a contract, just a handshake,” she recalled in her 2023 memoir, My Name Is Barbra. He then secured her a recording contract at Columbia Records along with, at her request, unprecedented control her own repertoire and the ability to design her own album covers.

Erlichman also was a film producer on such movies as Streisand’s 1974 comedy For Pete’s Sake; the 1978 psychological thriller Coma, written and directed by Michael Crichton and starring Michael Douglas; and the 1983 romantic thriller Breathless, starring Richard Gere, a contemporary American reimagining of Jean-Luc Godard’s landmark 1960 French New Wave film À bout de souffle. Erlichman also executive-produced four films featuring the comedic character Ernest, created and portrayed by actor and filmmaker John R. Cherry III.

Among his other clients were heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman; record producer and songwriter Bob Crewe, known for his work with The Four Seasons; 1960s pop group Gary Puckett & The Union Gap; and comedian and actor Chevy Chase.

Erlichman was married to Miko Mayama Erlichman for 52 years. Their son, J.J. Erlichman, is a tour and production manager. Erlichman is also survived by his daughter-in-law, Talia, and his four grandchildren, Mia, Sarah, Olivia, and Jack.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his honor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the National Kidney Foundation. A private service will be held.