By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices

Natalie Cole should start her own "Psychic Friends Network".

Just a few weeks ago when the eight-time Grammy Award winning diva took up a private audience with moi, she predicted that her pal Whitney Houston would be back and better than ever.

"She's going to come back and she's going to kick all of our behinds again," Cole told The BV Newswire.

I, being the cynic I am sometimes known to be -- and the avid viewer of 'Being Bobby Brown,' dismissed it as diplomatic diva-speak.

But what do you know, Cole was right on the money.

Houston, the once pristine pop superstar, has gone through a very public battle with substance abuse, alleged spousal drama and more than her fair share of fashion mishaps in recent years.

Last weekend, the "I Will Always Love You" singer publicly re-emerged emanating a glistening and glamorous glow that many thought was only seen during days of yore.

Cole, a rehabilitated former drug offender herself, knows substance abuse all too well.
 
In her unflinching 2000 memoir, 'Angel On My Shoulders,' Nat King Cole's baby daughter chronicled her glory (and whore-y) days in an extremely personal fashion.  For that reason, the media-savvy chanteuse is often queried to comment about new-school R&B divas in the dumps.
 
Does it ever get a little old?

"Yeah," she revealed, adding "that's why I try to keep it very upbeat and positive.  And there before the grace of God go any of us."

During the 1970s --when her burgeoning singing career blossomed-- she lived in a drug-induced haze; using LSD, cocaine, heroin -- the whole lot.  She lays it all out in 'Angel,' (arguably, the best celebrity autobiography I've read outside of Janice Dickinson's 'No Lifeguard on Duty' and Nina Simone's 'I Put A Spell On You.').

The "Inseparable" singer embodies the spirit of a pop singer who achieved a great level of success, crashed and burned… and rose from the ashes.  If you know any part of Natalie Cole's history, you would know that her multiple Grammy Award winning album 'Unforgettable' -- songs popularized by her late father-- re-established her as a pop cultural force to be reckoned with.

"My whole thing about Whitney is I know Whitney," she added.

"I know her strength, I know her spirit and I know her heart.  And that's what I'm banking on. She's going to be fine."

Judging from the photos of "Whitney in White" at last weekend's "Carousel of Hope" gala, she does look fine indeed.

Cole, herself, has made a return --of sorts-- to her true R&B roots with her most recent album, titled 'Leavin',' which was helmed by hip-hop super-producer Dallas Austin (who recently was arrested for drug possession in Dubai).

"Dallas [is] great," she said. "He's so cool. I love him to death. He's like my little brother, We bonded right away. We get each other."

Mostly a covers album of obscure rock, pop, country and soul songs, the sparkling Verve Music label's opus has received high marks from the press, debuting in the Top 20 on the 'Billboard' charts, last month.

And at 56, she's not like some of her contemporaries who believe these records work themselves. Cole has been extensivelypromoting the collection through a series of high-profile appearances and sold-out concert dates across the country.  On Nov. 10, she takes the stage at the world's famous Apollo Theater in New York City -- for the first time in more than a decade.

"It's been over ten years," she said, "but I got a whole lot of stuff to do before I get to the Apollo. We gotta work this show a little more, we gotta learn a few songs. And by the time Nov. 10 comes around, we'll be ready."

"There is something about this record that when we do these songs live, I can tell you that it's exciting for us, this band and this organization," she added. "I've been working on it for almost a year and these songs just really jump out at you when we perform them live.  It's very gratifying to see how people react to it."

I know for a fact that she "owns" the stage when she steps on it.

I can't wait.

Back to Natalie Cole:  A Living Legend