Born Barbara Goldbach, to a Jewish father and an Irish Catholic mother in Queens, New York. She left school to become a model, when she was 16, two years later
Barbara got married to Augusto Gregorini, with whom she has two children. They separated in 1975.

In 1980, she met Ringo Starr they were married on April 27, 1981, she accompanies Ringo on his tours.