'The Apollo', 'John & Yoko' and 'Homecoming' among 2019's biggest music documentaries
Corrections & clarifications: A previous version of this report included Hulu’s “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” which is a scripted series.
We're nearing the end of 2019, and the year's landscape of music documentaries has been an embarrassment of riches.
Premiering tonight is HBO's "The Apollo," which explores the history of Harlem's iconic theater and features such stars as Patti LaBelle, Pharrell Williams, Smokey Robinson and Jamie Foxx.
Documentaries from earlier this year have allowed music fans to dive into Netflix and Hulu's competing Fyre Fest documentaries, learn more about myriad music legends such as Leonard Cohen and the Wu-Tang Clan, and, more seriously, reevaluate the legacies of Michael Jackson and R. Kelly via the hard-hitting profiles of the two artists.
And no conversation about the year in music docs is complete without a mention of 'Homecoming," Beyoncé's concert film that allowed fans around the world to experience her 2018 Coachella headlining performances in rich detail.
Read on for a list of the year's most noteworthy music documentaries, some of which are available now and others that are upcoming.
Surviving R. Kelly
Release date: Jan. 3
The Lifetime documentary ignited a national conversation about Kelly's decades-long history — stretching to the present-day — of alleged crimes, with the singer currently sitting in jail awaiting trial on the new criminal charges that have been brought against him in the months since.
More: What's next for R. Kelly as he faces four sets of sex-crime charges?
Fyre Fraud
Release date: Jan. 14
Hulu's Fyre Festival investigation was released by surprise four days before Netflix's own documentary on the infamously disastrous event, beating the competing streaming service to the punch while also featuring an exclusive interview with Fyre founder Billy McFarland.
Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened
Release date: Jan. 18
While Netflix's Fyre Fest doc didn't include McFarland's first-person take, the film featured a buzzier interview with event producer Andy King, who went viral with his quote about how he prepared to offer sexual favors to a customs official in order to obtain Evian water for the festival.
More: You should watch both Fyre Fest docs on Hulu and Netflix (despite behind-the-scenes drama)
Leaving Neverland
Release date: March 3
The controversial Michael Jackson documentary told the stories of accusers Wade Robson and James Safechuck who alleged that Jackson sexually abused them when they were children in his inner circle, igniting a flurry of threats and lawsuits from the Jackson estate.
More: Michael Jackson estate slams 'Leaving Neverland'; here's what we learned from watching
Amazing Grace
Release date: April 5
Shot over two days at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles in 1972 by director Sydney Pollack, this Aretha Franklin documentary was delayed for decades by logistical and legal issues before it was finally released earlier this year.
Homecoming
Release date: April 17
Released by surprise in April, accompanied by a live album, Netflix's concert film showed exactly how Beyoncé pulled off her blockbuster 2018 Coachella headlining performance, as well as what the superstar's life looked like as a new mom of three.
More: Blue Ivy steals the show, and more major moments from Beyonce's Netflix doc, 'Homecoming'
Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men
Release date: May 10
The Showtime series presented a four-episode retrospective on the generation-defining rap collective, from their founding and the original lineup's heyday through the surviving members' current projects today.
Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation
Release date: May 24
Released to commemorate Woodstock's 50th anniversary this year, the PBS documentary examined the tumultuous decade that led to the 1960s' most historic concert event.
The Quiet One
Release date: June 21
Overshadowed by the wilder personalities of his Rolling Stones bandmates, bassist Bill Wyman is the subject of this new documentary, which heavily features archival Super 8 footage shot by Wyman himself.
Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love
Release date: July 5
Examining the romantic-yet-problematic relationship of an artist and his muse, this documentary digs into the love affair between legendary singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen, the Norwegian woman who helped inspire his work.
Between Me and My Mind
Release date: July 17
Beloved Phish frontman Trey Anastasio gets the documentary treatment with this new film, a must-see for the band's superfans interested in a deep-dive into his creative process.
David Crosby: Remember My Name
Release date: July 19
Still standing today after one of the most remarkable — and, at times, self-destructive — careers in rock 'n' roll, Crosby is at the center of a documentary that follows his early fame, his difficult days in the throes of addiction, and his eventual redemption.
More: 'David Crosby: Remember My Name' reveals a musician trapped in his own kind of hell
Free Meek
Release date: Aug. 9
The Amazon docuseries follows Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill, who was released from prison after a controversial legal fight last year. It documents the flaws in the criminal justice system as well as his fight for exoneration.
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
Release date: Aug. 23
Named after the jazz icon's 1957 album, this documentary will combine interviews with his contemporaries with archival footage to attempt to reveal new truths about Davis' life and career.
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
Release date: Sept. 6
This film will give the much-deserved documentary treatment to the rock icon of the '70s and '80s, featuring appreciations from Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and more.
John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky
Release date: Sept. 13
The relationship between John Lennon and Yoko Ono is one of the most-documented in rock music, with a new film honing in on the making of Lennon's "Imagine" album while telling a larger story about their art, politics and lives together.
Country Music
Release date: Sept. 15
Ken Burns goes long on the history of the storied genre with a new eight-part, 16-hour PBS series that traces country music back to its roots and profiles its greatest artists.
More: 'Country Music' director Ken Burns on 'Old Town Road' breaking chart record: 'Water is wet'
Mystify: Michael Hutchence
Release date: Oct. 12 (U.K. only)
More than two decades since the death of the INXS frontman, Hutchence is remembered in a documentary that tells the troubled story of his rock 'n' roll successes as well as his personal demons.
The Apollo
Release date: Nov. 6
Telling the story of Harlem's iconic theater, the HBO documentary tracks the venue's history while spotlighting the behind-the-scenes action that helps it run night after night, with featured voices including Patti LaBelle, Pharrell Williams, Smokey Robinson and Jamie Foxx.
All I Can Say
Release date: TBD
This sure-to-be-quirky documentary is told through the personal footage of Blind Melon singer Shannon Hoon, providing a portrait of rocker life in the 1990s.
Devil’s Pie: D’Angelo
Release date: TBD
One of R&B's most genius and enigmatic figures, D’Angelo has lived an alternately troubled and triumphant life, making a documentary tracking his career seem particularly appealing.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The Apollo' among 2019's biggest music documentaries
