We were lucky to catch up with Sharon Owens recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sharon , first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
This is an interesting question since I quite literally impersonate someone else for a living! Throughout the start of my tribute career, I prepared, watched her movies and studied in order to imitate Barbra’s vocals and mannerisms as close as possible to perfection. I knew when I started this it was going to be one of the greatest challenges of my professional life. I mean, I picked one of the greatest singers of our time! Big Barbra shoes to fill! I take what I do very seriously on one hand but on the other, I do not take myself seriously at all! To me, there is nothing to overcome when it comes to “imposter syndrome”. I’m not her! I am an actress. I only take on her persona when I hit the stage.
I went to school to study opera and theater, and to this day I make sure my voice is rested and prepared so that when I get up on stage to sing the songs of Streisand, people really feel like they are hearing and seeing Barbra! After every show, I meet the people and they often take my hand and share stories with me as if I’m the real Barbra. I love hearing their stories and I am so happy they are comfortable sharing these experiences with me. Sometimes I remind them…”You know I’m not really her right?” When I go backstage and take off the makeup and the wig, I’m just Sharon. I’ve built a career for myself, I manage it, I maintain it, and I’m very proud to do that as Sharon. Believe me, I KNOW I’m not the real Barbra. I definitely don’t have the checkbook.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I have spent the past 25 years tributing the legendary Barbra Streisand. At each performance I take on the persona of Streisand and take the audience through time singing the classics such as “People”, “The Way We Were”, “Evergreen”, and so many more. It is wonderful to be able to use my own singing ability and push myself to the limits in order to impersonate Streisand. What is special about my performances are the people. I love to interact with the audience using “Barbra” comedy. I love it when the audiences play along as if they are seeing the real Babs!
After the show I hear their stories of how they grew up with these songs, danced to these songs at their weddings, and listened to these songs as they’ve gone through hard times. I know I’m not the real Barbra Streisand but its fun when they play along. I feel like a vessel sometimes to stir up these memories.
I take my solo show “An Enchanted Evening with Barbra” all across the country and around the globe, performing with local musicians and bringing cities the music and the essence of Barbra Streisand. One of my favorite parts of the job is performing with local jazz bands, symphonies with so many amazing and talented musicians. To learn more about where I’ll be, you can visit www.sharonowens.com.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
If I were to dwindle it down to only three qualities, skills, or area of knowledge that most impacted my journey I would have to say having an almost obsessive persistence for perfection, hours of singing/vocals and study of her Brooklyn accent and mannerisms and last but not least learning how to “sell” my act as a professional and not be looked upon as this being a “hobby”. Nowadays, 25 years after perfecting my character, the struggles are not so much on stage but the preparation for the tours. I travel to many different venues, work with different musicians, and meet many people. My work while very rewarding can also be strenuous and tiring and so I don’t let it go unknown how grateful I am to every person involved in my shows whether it be the musicians, the tech crew, front of house, and especially the audiences. These are all the people that make the shows possible and I want these to be good experiences for everyone involved. My advice to others who would like to live the life of an “imposter” celebrity tribute artist I would first remind them, If they do not have the Look, the Sound and the Mannerisms of their doppelganger they might be in the wrong biz. This industry can be cutthroat. The last thing you want to be is “not as good” as whom you impersonate.
But with that said, my final piece of advice is to take chances – failure can only happen if you don’t try, so even the act of trying, taking a risk, can be a success!
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Being an artist is always a challenge. There’s so much more that goes into it beyond the performance aspect, there’s also the business side which can prove to be a challenge. Every day there are conversations happening with multiple venues, musicians, agents, etc. This is in addition to rehearsing shows, performing shows, all on top of having a personal life and a family. It’s a constant juggle and also a very delicate balance. The challenge is figuring out priorities, working on my craft while also maintaining my personal health and the health of the family. What’s a reward though without a challenge? I’m so grateful for what I get to do every single day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sharonowens.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsharonowens/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSharonOwens/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonOwens
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@officialsharonowens
Image Credits
Michael Hull
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