Jason Gould was “afraid” of being “judged” as Barbra Streisand’s son.
James Gould doesn't want to copy his mother and 'please anybody'
The 57-year-old singer – whose dad is actor Elliott Gould – waited decades before embarking on his career because he was reluctant to open himself up to unfavourable criticism.
He told Britain’s HELLO! magazine: “I started late because I was afraid of being judged and compared.
“I thought, ‘Why would I do that to myself?’
“But I also had need to express myself, so part of my own spiritual growth was to be able to walk through the fear and do it anyway.
“I’m not trying to be like my mother or trying to please anybody else.
“I’m an artist and that’s what artists do – they use their feelings, their lives, their ideas, their instincts to create.”
Jason began pursuing music in 2011 and a year later, he joined his mother on tour to sing ‘How Deep is the Ocean’ and recalled how “very scary” it was to first play the ballad for the ‘A Star is Born’ legend.
He said: “That was the first song I ever recorded and the first thing I ever played for her, which was very scary for me.
“She was shocked because she didn’t know I could sing, but when she heard the song, she said, ‘I want to sing this with you.’ “
Jason admitted her response was unexpected but he was able to overcome his nerves.
He said: “That was not my plan at all! I’d never performed to anybody so it was quite something to go from zero to 18,000 people. Scary!
“By then I’d begun practising meditation and prayer, so that was a big part of how I was able to show up. It wasn’t about me, I was being of service to her and to the song.
“It was an important part of reclaiming my voice but I had a lot to work through.”
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