[We here at TVWeek are deeply saddened by the death of Allison Waldman, who has been a contributor for us since 2008. Allison wrote bylined pieces for our NewsPro periodicals, and also contributed daily to the myriad articles we aggregate. The following obituary was written by Tom Gilbert, our former executive editor, who knew Allison for almost 40 years.]

Allison J. Waldman, entertainment writer and author and regular contributor to TVWeek.com and NewsPro, died Monday, April 15, near Miami, Fla., after a long battle with cancer. She was 56.

Waldman, also known by her married name, Allison Solow, was a preeminent Barbra Streisand authority and the author of the books "The Barbra Streisand Scrapbook" (Citadel, 2001) and the self-published "Barbra Memories." An avid, lifelong Streisand fan, she created and maintained The Barbra Files (thebarbrafiles.com), an authoritative clearing house of information about the life and career of Streisand. She also presented a weekly YouTube videocast, "Sunday With Ally," which became very popular with Streisand fans worldwide, owing to her chatty, personal style in enthusiastically delivering the latest information about Streisand’s career.

Said Streisand on her website, "I knew Allison over the years as a very good writer and a kind and loyal fan of mine who created and wrote "The Barbra Files" magazine and "The Barbra Streisand Scrapbook"… she was always wonderful to me. She was dedicated to the accuracy of the news she conveyed, and she shaped her stories with great style.

"I was so happy to finally get to meet Allison at my Brooklyn concert this past Fall and to be able to thank her personally for her encouragement and dedication.

"I extend to her family and friends my heartfelt sympathies. She will be certainly missed by all of us."

Chuck Ross, managing director of TVWeek, said, "We are a small family here at TVWeek. Allison was a core contributor of ours, and her courage in battling her cancer was extraordinary. We extend our deepest condolences to her family. We will miss her greatly."

Waldman also wrote "The Bette Midler Scrapbook" (Citadel, 1997). She previously had been an editor for Soap Opera Update magazine, and was a weekly columnist on SoapCentral.com, in addition to being an editor for AOL TV and TVSquad.com.

Waldman is survived by her husband, Leslie Solow, three sisters, a brother and numerous nieces and nephews.