 OCTOBER 10 • 2019 | 41

The book was released last week by 
Wayne State University Press, which is 
housed in the building named for Zieve’
s 
late father, Leonard N. Simons. 
Solomon credits her all-women edito-
rial staff at Wayne State University Press 
for helping her put out the 244-page 
hardcover book filled with 140 images of 
Franklin’
s most-private, candid moments 
and iconic career highlights. 
“I wanted it to be like a photo album 
that Aretha would have had on her coffee 
table,” says Solomon, who enlisted the 
help of her 91-year-old mother, Mona 
Rappaport, to help her sift through 
hundreds and hundreds of photos in 
Solomon’
s Birmingham studio. “It’
s 
really a tribute to Aretha and her devo-
tion to her family and her love of Detroit. 
She was such a private person; I always 
respected her privacy. The photos in the 
book really capture the side of her she 
didn’
t share with the public.”

DOWN-HOME ARETHA
Franklin’
s birthday, Christmas and 
masquerade parties were legendary. 
Solomon saved all of Franklin’
s person-

ally addressed invitations in metallic 
ink to “Linda and Barry,” Solomon’
s 
husband. Sixty guests were invit-
ed to come in costume to Franklin’
s 
Bloomfield Hills home on Scenic Court 
in 1988. The Queen of Soul herself 
came as Queen Nefertiti, and Solomon 
chose that favorite photo to be the 
cover of her book.
“Her parties were the best. You never 
knew which famous entertainers would 
show up,” Solomon says. “You would 
drive up and find a 30-piece orchestra 
playing on her driveway. Fifteen min-
utes later, she’
d have a mariachi band. 
Then Peabo Bryson singing in her living 
room followed by Sinbad the comic.”
The parties would be for only about 
40 of Franklin’
s closest friends, includ-
ing the Four Tops and the Spinners, 
family, “Linda and Barry” and 
Franklin’
s longtime doctor, Dr. Seymour 
Ziegelman and his wife, Loretta.
“This was when Aretha was in her 
40s. She was having a blast and there’
s 
no other way to describe it,” Solomon 
says. “She was there to enjoy it all. She 
was really happy to just sit on her couch 

and listen to all of these great entertain-
ers in her living room. She went all out, 
from the food to the flowers.”
When she wasn’
t hosting parties, you 
would find her limousine — “Yes, she 
owned her own limousines,” Solomon 
says — parked outside of Beans & 
Cornbread restaurant, Steve’
s Deli, the 
former Big Boy next door to the Jewish 
Federation on Telegraph or even Kroger 
where she would do her own grocery 
shopping.
“Aretha would call me, and we would 
gossip and chat as girlfriends. She was 
loads of fun,” says Solomon, who was 
the only photographer invited to cover 
the Franklin family private gathering 
prior to the memorial church service on 
Aug. 31, 2018. “I cherish our friendship. 
Her family was so incredibly fabulous 
and nice to me. They treated me like a 
member of the family.
“And she was really ahead of her time 
in fashion. She was wearing animal 
prints, statement earrings and turquoise 
nail polish in the ’
80s when no one else 
was doing it.”
Pure Detroit. Pure Aretha. 

• Book signing: 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, ArtLoft, 4160 
Cass Ave., Midtown Detroit. (313) 818-0023. Queen Edition 
shirts and totes by CFranks designer, Aretha’
s niece, Cristal 
Franklin, available. A portion of the proceeds benefit the 
Aretha Franklin Fund for Neuroendocrine Cancer Research.
• National book launch: 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, Detroit 
Institute of Arts, Detroit Film Theatre. Panelists include 
former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard, former Detroit 
Mayor Dennis Archer, Aretha’
s nieces Sabrina Vonné 
Owens and Cristal Franklin, as well as Aretha’
s cousin and 
backup vocalist Brenda Corbett and sister-in-law Earline 
Franklin. Aretha’
s lifelong friends Beverly Bradley, Thelma 
Stubbs-Mitchell (sister of Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops) 
and Barbara Henderson (wife of Billy Henderson of the 
Spinners), among others, will join the discussion. Panelists 
will share intimate stories about Aretha. Also, a choir with 
a surprise guest vocalist will perform Aretha’
s hit songs. 
Paying homage to Aretha’
s love of pink Cadillacs, 
Cadillac is sponsoring the event and will provide a 
complimentary book to each attendee.
This free event is open to the public, but space is 
limited. RSVP at bit.ly/2LK1Rbk. 
• Book signing, fashion show: 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 
6, Saks Fifth Avenue Troy, sponsored by skinnytees, with 
all proceeds from book sales going to Solomon’
s Pictures 
of Hope Foundation. Includes live music, fashion show and 
holiday pop-ups. To RSVP
, email jeri_zink@s5a.com.

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