You might want to grab some tissues for this one, collegiettes. Ever since the devastating death of 31-year-old Glee star Cory Monteith in 2013, fans have been mourning alongside Lea Michele. In 2014, Lea used Cory’s passing as inspiration to create new music with a song called “If You Say So” from her album Louder, which broke all our hearts.
In a recent interview with Billboard, Lea says that Cory continues to inspire her music every day. She even used a book that Stevie Nicks gave her after his death to help her write her new album Places.
“I poured myself the biggest glass of red wine, I put Fleetwood Mac on my vinyl, I lit candles, and I legit started praying and looking for a sign,” Michele says. “I have this incredible book that Stevie Nicks gave me in 2013 when my boyfriend died. She gave me this art book of hers that she put notes in over the years and song lyrics, and then she rewrote personal notes for me that say things like, ‘Keep singing, and have faith.'”
Praying for answers while looking through the book, Lea came across a sentence that said, “The only thing that matters is you, and who you are.” After seeing that quote, what Lea had been trying to do with the entire record—connect to where she came from—became clear. Lea saw this as the inspiration she needed to make Places her most personal album yet.
Now we’re anxiously waiting for the release of this sure-to-be amazing album. We will always love Lea Michele for her strength and courage and the fact that she turned a tragedy into something positive. Lea and Cory forever <3