What time will The Day The Music Died documentary air on Paramount+? Release date, plot, and more details explored

Paramount+ has a big treat waiting for music fans worldwide with its upcoming documentary, The Day The Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie, centering around the iconic song by one of the most iconic musicians of all time. The film will drop on Paramount+'s streaming services on July 19, 2022. The release time is yet to be announced, but documentaries are generally released at 3 am EST.

Mark Moormann's The Day The Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie first ran for a limited theatrical release in Los Angeles and New York City on July 8, 2022. The endearing look at the history behind the historic song will see interviews from Garth Brooks, Brian Wilson, Peter Gallagher, and the legendary Don McLean.

Read on for more details about The Day The Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie.

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The Day The Music Died: The Story of Don McLean's American Pie trailer: The big day of tragedy

Those who know the history of the song already know that this documentary will focus a hefty amount of runtime on deciphering the grave tragedy that inspired many artists from the 1970s and this famous song. "The day that music died" refers to the tragic plane crash that killed three of the greatest musicians of all time - Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson.

Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson died on February 3, 1959, after the plane they were traveling in crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa. The pilot, Roger Peterson, died in the crash as well. The event later became known as "The Day the Music Died" after McLean referred to it as such in his song American Pie.

As the primary inspiration behind the iconic song, this upcoming documentary will revisit the incident in detail and explore how it affected Don McClean. The synopsis for the upcoming documentary, as released by Paramount+, reads:

"The story of America - our past and our future. More than just a song or a man, this film is about a cultural moment in America's history that has followed us from the 1970s. Featuring a new generation of artists, inspired by the same values & ideas that inspired Don McLean in writing American Pie -- one of the great musical touchstones of pop music and culture."

The song has had a lot of history, with fans around the world asking time and again for certain explanations. Originally released in 1971, American Pie's catchy melody and near-absurd lyrical prowess captivated fans for generations. The song is as popular today as it was in the 1970s.

In 2017, American Pie was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its cultural impact. Speaking about the documentary to Deadline, Don McClean said:

"This documentary is something that will make people think, especially since so many throughout the years have asked me what certain lyrics meant or whom I was referring to, but now I finally can solve many of those mysteries."

The trailer features footage of McClean both from the present day and from the past. It will also explore the things that set this song apart. It is not especially easy for a song to resonate with listeners for over half a century.

The Day The Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie will premiere on July 19, 2022, on Paramount+. Stay tuned for more updates.