Whitney's Summer Plans...

[From E! Online]

Whitney's Summer Plans

by Lia Haberman
May 19, 2004, 1:00 PM PT

Whitney Houston wants to sing with somebody.

The erratic songbird will join Natalie Cole and Dionne Warwick on tour this summer starting in Germany in July.

"We're going to have…a great, great time," Cole told Access Hollywood Tuesday. "It's going to be fun."

Houston is reportedly clean and sober after a 30-day stint in rehab under the watchful eye of a chaperone.

Cole, who battled her own drug problem in the early '80s, said Houston is doing "really great. She's a strong woman and she has a great desire to get healthy and get well, so I'm just really happy for her."

The "Unforgettable" crooner cited their personal relationship as a reason to do the tour.

"I said 'yes' because that's my buddy," she said. "I've always thought of Whitney as my little sister. I've known her since she was 19, and ... I feel really good that when they asked who she would want to be on the show with her, she said me."

Warwick has known Houston even longer, the two are cousins. The former Psychic Friends Network pitchwoman has also battled her own addictions, entering rehab in 2002 as part of a pot bust plea bargain.

Together, the troubled trio could make for a successful mix, according to Pollstar editor Garry Bongiovanni. "There's a certain 'event' status about Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick that may make it successful," he said. "I think it's going to be a lot better than the individual artists going out on their own."

He also credits Houston for putting the music before personal drama. "It's smart for her to go out and work this summer. Whitney was a legit arena headliner but she's been away from the scene for a while."

But it's not all smooth sailing this summer for R&B's wackiest couple, Houston and hubby Bobby Brown. The "My Prerogative" singer has been ordered to stand trial on domestic violence charges for allegedly roughing up his missus last December.

Earlier this month, Brown was ordered to turn himself in for fingerprinting July 10 or 11, at which point he'll be released on $2,000 bond. No trial date has been set.

Meanwhile, no dates have been confirmed for the Houston-Cole-Warwick tour, nor has there been any word on whether the trio plans to take their show to the States.

NEWSFILE: 19 MAY 2004