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