New docu-series episodes highlight some of music’s most memorable artists

REELZ has announced its May 2021 premieres led by new music themed original stories about the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, peerless Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and country music legend Johnny Cash along with new stories in original series Breaking the Band, Life, Death & Money and Autopsy: The Last Hours of… May also includes the U.S. premieres of Meat Loaf: In and Out of Hell with the actor and rocker in his own words sharing his life story.

“Our May premieres present the fascinating stories of extraordinary entertainers who dazzle on concert stages, movie screens and in our living rooms on TV from the irreplaceable powerhouse Freddie Mercury to groundbreaking comedian Redd Foxx,” states Steve Cheskin, SVP of Programming at REELZ. “Breaking the Band is back with a bang as Heart founding members Roger Fisher and Steve Fossen along with Michael Fisher who was instrumental in the band’s success share their personal stories about its magic and misfortune.”

Highlighting May premieres are three new original stories about the singular talent and exceptional life of Aretha Franklin who over a 60 year career sold more than 75 million records, won 18 Grammy Awards and became a beloved cultural icon. Autopsy: The Last Hours of… examines the health battles Franklin fought throughout her career from kicking smoking and drinking habits to controlling her diet as well as her long battle with a rare form of pancreatic cancer. In Story of Her Songs see the powerful stories behind three songs that made Franklin the Queen of Soul from her defiant anthem “Respect” to global gospel smash “I Say a Little Prayer” and her incredible 1980s comeback “Sisters are Doin’ it for Themselves.” In Franklin’s monumental career she’d built an estate worth an estimated $80 million. Life, Death & Money explores the story after Franklin’s death when a shocking discovery was made regarding her estate. It was revealed that Franklin had three handwritten wills but they contradicted each other and sparked a massive legal quagmire that threatened to tear her family apart. Two additional new stories of Life, Death & Money unpack the messy estate battles that ensued after sensational vocalist Chris Cornell and innovative comedian Redd Foxx died with both artists leaving behind intellectual property potentially worth millions of dollars but with questions about who would manage it.

May premieres include the return of original documentary series Breaking the Band about The Who and Heart as the two bands share similar stories of strained partnerships, clashing artistic visions and tragic battles with drugs but in the case of Heart the intra-band partnerships were real romantic relationships that led to emotional meltdowns and lifelong feuds. In their own words Heart co-founding members Roger Fisher and Steve Fossen along with manager Michael Fisher tell the band’s incredible journey through several decades of hits, reinventions, fallouts and the real story behind that infamous on-stage guitar smashing incident that shook the band to its core.

Freddie Mercury successfully transformed himself from a shy and stifled boy into a powerful performer by re-imaging himself throughout his life by living as a cast of illustrious characters he created. New original special Freddie Mercury: Inside His Mind features acclaimed psychiatrist Dr. Bob Johnson profiling Mercury’s brilliant mind and life experiences to better understand his genius. Also exploring the creative sparks and driving forces of a towering musical talent is new original special Johnny Cash: The Man in Black about the war Cash waged within himself throughout his career from the dark origins of his destructive streaks and addictions to his radiating responses to troubles.

With their 35 year marriage friends and family say Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash were soulmates but their relationship wasn’t without its low points. For June the couple’s conflicts added to the untold amounts of stress already experienced by her body after a lifetime of touring and a new Autopsy: The Last Hours of… “June Carter Cash” examines the heart complications that contributed to her passing. The physical and mental toll of performing on the road is viciously compounded when hard drugs and heavy drinking are involved. Autopsy: The Last Hours of… also looks at the tragic case of dynamic vocalist Scott Weiland who was found dead on his tour bus from lethal cocktail of cocaine, ethanol and MDA.

Chris Cornell: Life, Death & Money takes fans inside the controversy surrounding the former Soundgarden frontman’s tragic suicide in the middle of a tour in May 2017 that caught the world completely off guard. According to Cornell’s will his sole beneficiaries are widow Vicky and their two children along with the Cornell family trust but soon after his untimely death the first of many bitter estate battles would surface. After his death it was estimated Cornell’s estate was worth more than $60 million including homes in Rome, Paris and New York as well as vintage sports cars, custom motorcycles, 13 music awards, numerous guitars and what would become the high profile focal point of one estate battle—seven unreleased Soundgarden songs potentially worth millions of dollars. While the biggest fight over money would be between Vicky and surviving members of Soundgarden over the band’s unreleased tracks the original feud to make headlines involves Cornell’s first wife and former manager Susan Silver who goes to court demanding a piece of his estate seeking money for their daughter Lillian’s college tuition. Life, Death & Money is produced by Buck Productions.

Sunday, May 2nd

  • Autopsy: The Last Hours of… “Aretha Franklin” at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT
  • Aretha Franklin: Story of Her Songs at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT

Sunday, May 9th

  • Autopsy: The Last Hours of… “Scott Weiland” at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT
  • Chris Cornell: Life, Death & Money at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT

Sunday, May 16th:

  • The Who: Breaking the Band at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT
  • Freddie Mercury: Inside His Mind at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT

Sunday, May 23rd:

  • Heart: Breaking the Band at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT
  • Meat Loaf: In and Out of Hell at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT

Thursday, May 27th:

  • Aretha Franklin: Life, Death & Money at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT

Sunday, May 30th:

  • Johnny Cash: The Man in Black at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT
  • Autopsy: The Last Hours of… June Carter Cash” at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT