Soundtracks: Songs That Defined History, the music-themed CNN miniseries from Dwayne Johnson and his partner Dany Garcia, has a premiere date.
The eight-part, hourlong CNN original series will premiere Thursday, April 20, at 10 p.m. ET on the cable news channel.
The series will explore the music tied to pivotal moments in history, how it captured a moment in time, sometimes unifying people, sometimes defining a generation.
From the March on Washington to the riots at Stonewall, from women’s rights and civil rights to tragedies such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, each episode will focus on how music has played an integral role in celebrating, criticizing and amplifying these seismic events in American history.
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Johnson and Garcia exec produced the series via their Seven Bucks Productions banner, along with Emmy and Peabody Award winners Maro Chermayeff and Jeff Dupre (Show of Force).
Soundtracks features rare archival footage alongside interviews with legendary musicians, journalists, historians and other notable figures including Billy Joel, Smokey Robinson, Andra Day, Pat Benatar, Patti LaBelle, Ben Harper, Paul Simon, Melissa Etheridge, Master P, George Clinton, Anderson Cooper, Van Jones, Dan Rather, Billie Jean King, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Reverend Al Sharpton, among others. Johnson is also on the list of luminaries participating.
The series premiere, The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., looks at the music that kept the spirit of the civil rights movement alive following King’s death and spotlights songs ranging from James Brown’s black power anthem, “Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)” to Kendrick Lamar’s searing protest song, “Alright,” inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.
THR has the first look at the show with a 30-second spot that will hit today. Check it out on top.
