February
23 Babs is back

Barbra Streisand and Tony Bennett did it -- a duet for his 80th birthday album. They recorded Bennett's favorite song, "Smile" written by Charlie Chaplin at Barbra's Malibu home. During his stay in L.A. post-Grammy's Bennett also warbled with U2's Bono on  "I Wanna Be Around" and  "Rags to Riches" with Elton John also with k.d. lang on "Because of You." Bennett's 80th birthday is Aug.3 and the Sony/BMG duet album will be out in September. Bennett is in London duetting with George Michael on "How Do you Keep the Music Playing?"

We may hear more music from Barbra this year as she's making a final decision on whether to do a six-eight-city domestic tour -- all proceeds would be donated to her charitable foundation.

Oscar-nominee Dolly Parton who wrote the original song "Travelin' Thru" for "Transamerica" traveled to L.A. for TV guestints. And Wednesday night she was cocktail-partied at Drago in BevHills by longtime pal Reba McEntire (on whose show she has appeared). Among party guests well-wishing Dolly was former two-time Oscar song nominee Carol Connors. The ever-effervescent Dolly was also congratted by guests who included Carol Burnett, Daryl Hannah, Kathy Lee and Frank Gifford, Rod McKuen, and "Transamerica's" best actress nominee Felicity Huffman.