OCTOBER 10 • 2019 | 39
F
ive years ago, Linda Solomon received
a Facebook friend request from Kay
Cunningham.
“Who?” Solomon pondered. Not knowing
a Kay Cunningham, Solomon simply didn’
t
respond.
A couple of days later, Solomon received
another message.
“Linda, you didn’
t friend me back. It’
s me,
Aretha.
”
As in Franklin.
So, of course, Solomon accepted Franklin’
s
friend request. Franklin had only 22
Facebook friends on her private page at the
time of her death on Aug. 16, 2018. And
Solomon was one of them.
“I was so blessed to be able to get to know
her all of these years. I will cherish those
times,” says Solomon of the woman who
gave her the ultimate career boost when
she was starting out as a photojournalist
in 1983. Solomon was 29 at the time and
a columnist for the Detroit News. Franklin
gave Solomon the go-ahead to shoot
her performance on the local television
show Kelly & Company. She next invited
JULIE SMITH YOLLES CONTRIBUTING WRITER | PHOTOS BY LINDA SOLOMON
Arts&Life
on the cover
‘The Queen
Next Door’
Aretha’
s private moments are
captured in photojournalist
and friend Linda Solomon’
s
new book.
continued on page 40