Soul singer Robin Thicke can't wait to tour with Jennifer Hudson at the end of the month (Mar09) - because he's convinced the six-week trek will be "cathartic" for his pal as she attempts to bounce back from the murders of her mother, brother and nephew.
After performing at the Super Bowl and the Grammy Awards last month (Feb09), Thicke insists the Oscar winner needs to get behind a microphone every night - to make her comeback complete after last October's (08) tragedy sent her into hiding.
He says the tour will be "the perfect thing for her to do, to get out there and get outside her head and feel the love she's been getting".
And he insists Hudson deserves every bit of support she receives: "She's a special lady."
Thicke might just break a performance habit for his touring partner - and play with her.
He tells Eonline.com, "Normally, by the time I leave the stage, I like to leave the stage, but I don't know. I might come back and play piano and sing backup."