But enough about her drug problems. It was pot, for Chrissakes! Back in California, the stuff is practically legal. The important thing is that Dionne is back and better than ever. With five Grammys and a sack full of soft soul and R&B hits already under her belt, the 66-year-old shows no signs of slowing down. Her most recent album, last year's My Friends & Me, features collaborations with Angie Stone, Reba McEntire, Gladys Knight, Cyndi Lauper, Olivia Newton-John, and our own Gloria Estefan. How's that for star power?
So please try to forget the Dionne who hosted the premiere episode of the wretched Solid Gold TV series. And the Dionne who spent her fallow years shilling for the Psychic Friends Network. And forget (if you can) that Dionne is kin to Whitney Houston. Instead try to focus on the remarkable array of singles she produced — many of which will be hauled out of storage for her live set. We're talking "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," "Déjà Vu," "That's What Friends Are For," and, of course, "Do You Know the Way to San Jose (Because I'm Jonesing for Some of That Sweet Downtown Brown)." Again, we kid because we care.
