The Quarterback’: Glee Gives Tribute to Cory Monteith

The popular TV program ‘Glee’ prepared a tribute episode to Cory Monteith, one of the show’s most popular and well-loved characters. The tribute titled ‘The Quarterback' features notable performances from the cast and special appearances from former members.

Cory Monteith was found dead inside a Vancouver hotel in July. Investigation revealed that he died of heroin and alcohol overdose. He was only 31.

In ‘Glee,’ Cory played the role of Finn Hudson, a quarterback from McKinley High and a member of the Glee club. His character is also dead two weeks after his death before the Thursday's episode in Fox, 9 p.m. ET/PT began. His high-school family grieves for his untimely death in the episode but it wasn't disclosed how he died. Former classmate Kurt said that the cause of his unspecified death is no longer relevant.

The episode had been extremely difficult for everyone to work on as a result of how each person had felt towards Monteith. He has been described by executive producer Ryan Murphy as the kindest and most generous person on the set and someone who has never bad-mouthed anybody else.

"I've never seen a crew that can't continue shooting because they've left the room sobbing. It was very hard," says Murphy, who wrote the episode with fellow executive producers Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. "I struggled even working on it, because what you're seeing is what they felt about not just Finn, but Cory. It's amazing performances across the board. ... Everybody went into it with a lot of love."

The episode written collaboratively by Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, and Brad Falchuk, opens with the whole cast performing ‘Seasons of Love’ from the Broadway musical ‘Rent.’ Other musical highlights include: ‘I’ll Stand By You’ by the Pretenders and performed by Mercedes; ‘Fire & Rain’ by James Taylor and performed by Sam and Artie; ‘No Surrender’ by Bruce Springsteen and interpreted by Puck; ‘If I Die Young’ by The Band Perry’s and performed by Santana; and ‘Make You Feel My Love’ by Bob Dylan and interpreted by Lea Michelle, a.k.a. Rachele Berry, Monteith’s real-life girlfriend.

All the proceeds gathered from online music sales will go to Project Limelight Society, a Canadian theater camp supported by Monteith.