text: Cory Monteith Drinking w/ Friends ... Days Before Sudden Death 
   
   Cory Monteith -- Drinking With Friends ... Days Before Sudden Death [Photos] 
   
   EXCLUSIVE 
   
   These are some of the last photos ever taken of-- snapped just days before he was found dead in a hotel room -- while the "" Star was hanging with friends and drinking alcohol.Sources tell TMZ ... the pics were taken on July 6th, the same day Cory checked-in to the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in Vancouver ... where he was found dead one week later.In the pics, Cory and a few buds are seen hanging out at The Shop -- a local coffee house and clothing store for people who love motorcycles.We spoke to the owner, who tells us, Cory came in ... was extremely friendly and really interested in choppers ... even sitting on the owner's bike.We're told he and his friends chilled for awhile -- laughing and drinking beers. One source on-site said Cory knocked back 3 cold ones over the course of a few hours -- despite his recent stint in rehab -- but didn't seem out of control or wasted. He was perfectly nice.Cory's not physically seen drinking in the pics ... but thedoppelganger he's standing next to -- who we're told is just a friend -- is seen clutching two beer cans. Possibly because cameras were around ... and Cory has been open about his substance abuse issues.As TMZ previously reported ... Fairmont hotel staff found Cory dead in his hotel room Saturday, after spending Friday night out with friends. He was 31.Now here's Cory's best moment in "" history ... R.I.P. ||||| Cory Monteith: 1982-2013 The 'Glee' star tragically dies at age 31. Let's take a look at the young star over the years. 
   
   With no obvious cause of death for "Glee" star Cory Monteith, the British Columbia Coroners Service says it will do further testing to determine how the 31-year-old died. 
   
   The autopsy was taking place Monday, but the coroners' service says it could take several days before toxicology test results are in. 
   
   
   
   Vancouver police have ruled out foul play. 
   
   Sgt. Randy Fincham says there's nothing to indicate Monteith's death was due to illicit drug use. 
   
   Monteith, who achieved his greatest fame as the star of the Fox series "Glee," was found dead in his hotel room Saturday afternoon by staff at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia. Monteith was due to check out of the hotel, where he had been staying since July 6, and staff went up to the room after Monteith missed the noon checkout time. 
   
   Police said Monteith had been out with people earlier, but video and electronic records from the hotel indicated he returned to his room by himself early Saturday morning. 
   
   The Fox network and the producers of "Glee," including 20th Century Fox Television, called Monteith an exceptional performer "and an even more exceptional person." They said he was "a true joy to work with and we will all miss him tremendously." 20th Century Fox Television is owned by 21st Century Fox, the parent company of Fox News. 
   
   Lea Michele, Monteith's "Glee" co-star and real-life girlfriend, asked for privacy upon hearing the news of his death. Outside the hotel, a makeshift memorial popped up where fans left flowers and notes commemorating the actor. 
   
   The grief at Monteith's passing was not confined to North America. The news rocked a "Glee" fan convention in England. 
   
   The hundreds of "gleeks," as they're known -- joined a chorus of thousands worldwide who took to social media with similar expressions about Monteith's passing. The actor's struggles with addiction echoed those of other young stars whose premature deaths also left young fans grieving. 
   
   "The whole day was simultaneously the best and worst experience of my life," said Chloe Harvey, an 18-year-old fan from Portsmouth, England. "The news was devastating. No one had any idea what to say or do. It just shows how much of a truly amazing guy Cory was that everyone was so shocked and emotional about the news. Everyone was crying and sharing their stories." 
   
   Monteith admitted himself to a treatment facility in April for substance addiction and asked for privacy as he took steps toward recovery, a representative said at the time. Michele told People magazine that she loved and supported him and was proud he was seeking help. It was not Monteith's first time in rehab. He also received treatment when he was 19. 
   
   "I think kids really need a place to go and feel like they belong," he said in the video posted the site for Project Limelight, a Vancouver charity offering theater and arts programs to at-risk youth. "When I was a kid, I struggled a lot with who I was and where my life was going and what I was interested in. And I was fortunate to have the arts inspire me." 
   
   Monteith similarly moved fans. At the weekend "Glee" convention, instead of planned revelry like singing competitions and autograph sessions with actors who've played members of the rival Warblers glee club, organizers Starfury Conventions rescheduled the final day of the three-day event at Heathrow's Thistle Hotel so the 250 attendees could mourn him together. 
   
   "We all woke up to hear the story, and no one really wanted to believe it was true," said Chloe-Louise Bond, a 22-year-old fan from Wakefield, England. "Walking into the main room, you could just feel the tragedy in the air, absolute strangers became a family right in that moment. Everyone was crying and hugging and just trying to get over the shock." 
   
   It was a day filled with sadness and songs. The attendees chanted "Cory! Cory! Cory!" In unison, they sang tunes like "Don't Stop Believin'," the Journey cover crooned by Monteith in the high school-set musical's first episode. Curt Mega, Telly Leung and other actors who've played Warblers led a group discussion with fans about their memories of Monteith. 
   
   "Glee," with its catchy song-and-dance numbers and high-profile guest stars like Gwyneth Paltrow and Britney Spears, became an instant hit when it debuted in 2009 and made celebrities of Montieth and the rest of the relatively unknown cast. Over the past four seasons, he delivered renditions of such classics as U2's "One" and R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion." 
   
   Monteith served as the show's resident hunk with a heart of gold. He played Finn Hudson, a football quarterback with two left feet who found more camaraderie in the choir room than on the football field. After his character graduated high school, Hudson sought out to find himself before settling on what he wanted to do with his life: become a teacher and mentor. 
   
   The Associated Press contributed to this report. ||||| Cory Monteith dined at a Vancouver restaurant and was photographed during his meal, apparently relaxed and enjoying the company of others, just over 24 hours before he died. 
   
   Monteith had dinner at Vancouver’s East of Main Café with Maureen Webb, a British Columbia-based casting agent, and Elena Kirschner, his manager, during which a photo was posted on Twitter showing him in the shadows of the venue. 
   
   “Great meal with good friends,” Kirschner wrote as the caption for the photo. The Glee star later re-tweeted the missive and used the image as his post picture on his own Twitter page. 
   
   PHOTOS: Celebs Who Died Young 
   
   “We are deeply saddened by the unexpected death of our good friend, Cory Monteith,” Webb, the co-founder of Project Limelight Society, a Vancouver charity close to the actor’s heart, told RadarOnline.com. 
   
   “Cory was an amazing young man with a generous heart. Our heart goes out to his family, fans and close friends. Cory was a friend and will be dearly missed.” 
   
   During the dinner, Monteith “looked so good, so healthy,” Webb added. “I hadn’t seen him look that good in a long time.” 
   
   She said no one drank alcohol at the catch-up. 
   
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   There were unconfirmed reports Monteith, 31, had partied at the Roxy Nightclub and The Queen’s Republic Nightclub in the hours before his death, however, both venues would not confirm to RadarOnline.com if was there. 
   
   Cops are investigating whether drugs were at the center of the tragic and sudden death and an autopsy will take place on Monday to determine the official cause and manner of death. 
   
   He died alone in the 21st floor room of the Vancouver Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel sometime in the early hours of Saturday morning. ||||| The entertainment world was shocked Saturday night when Vancouver police announced Cory Monteith, the actor who played Finn on Fox's Glee, was found dead in a hotel room Saturday afternoon after a year spent struggling with addiction. 
   
   Doug LePard, acting chief of Vancouver police, told reporters Saturday night that the 31-year-old Monteith, a Victoria, British Columbia native, was found by hotel staff shortly after noon on Saturday at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in downtown Vancouver. The actor, who broke out playing Finn Hudson on the Fox show, had missed his check out and staff found his body in the room, alone, when they went to check on him. Family, co-workers and fans have to wait for the autopsy and investigation results to find out exactly what killed the fresh-faced star, but police are trying to piece together what happened in the 24 hours leading to Monteith's death. LePard ruled out foul play when speaking with reporters, and said hotel security video showed Monteith leaving with friends Friday evening only to return to his room alone early Saturday morning. 
   
   Monteith had a serious history with substance abuse, which crept back into his life earlier this year, forcing Glee writers to explain him off the back half of last season. He checked into a rehab facility in March -- his second stint searching for recovery, the last coming when he was just 19 years old. 
   
   "Cory was an exceptional talent and an even more exceptional person," said Fox and 20th Century Fox Television, Glee's producers, in a statement. "He was a true joy to work with and we will all miss him tremendously. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones." 
   
   Monteith had struggled in bit roles before breaking out as Finn during Glee's first few seasons. He was the football star, the cool kid, who didn't want to have anything to do with glee club. He joins, of course, and went on to become one of the show's most important characters: "As Monteith played him, Finn was also often the heart and emotional anchor of a show that could take dizzying plot twists and roller coaster shifts in tone," writes Time's James Poniewozik. Finn also competed for the affection of the two cutest girls on the squad. One of those girls, actress Lea Michelle, became his real life girl friend. 
   
   Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at connorbsimpson at gmail dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire. ||||| Cory Monteith's 11 Best Glee Performances 
   
   Two days before he was found dead, Cory Monteith enjoyed "a quiet night with a lot of laughing" with one of his first mentors, Maureen Webb."He looked so good, so healthy," Webb, the co-founder of Project Limelight Society, a Vancouver charity close to the actor's heart, tells PEOPLE. "I hadn't seen him look that good in a long time."Joined by Monteith's manager Elena Kirschner, the trio dined at East of Main, a restaurant that supports the organization. "We ate a lot of food," recalls Webb, noting no one drank alcohol. "We drank the rhubarb lemonade."Monteith initiated the dinner, telling Webb he wanted to get more involved the non-profit arts program for children that he had supported since its 2011 launch."I told him, 'I remember everything we talked about when we first talked about this project. Now it's happening.' His face just lit up. He was in great spirits."Two days later, on Saturday, the 31-year-old Glee star's body was discovered in his hotel room. No cause of death has been determined but police have ruled out foul play. ||||| Sadly Cory Monteith passed away on July 13 in a Vancouver hotel room. He was 31. His devoted girlfriend, Lea, wasn’t with him at the time of his death. A source close to the actor tells HollywoodLife exclusively that she is ‘devastated’ beyond belief. 
   
   Lea Michele, 26, and Cory Monteith began dating in early 2012 and were together for a year and a half. The Glee songstress was clearly not expecting to receive the tragic news about the one she loves. 
   
   Cory Monteith’s Death — Lea Michele’s Reaction: 
   
   “She [Lea Michele] is absolutely hysterical and completely inconsolable,” a source close to the actor tells HollywoodLife exclusively. She is devastated beyond belief.” 
   
   Lea, who was in Mexico during Cory’s passing, “was shaking when she heard the news,” a source tells New York Daily News. 
   
   At this time the cause of the actor’s death is yet to be determined and no foul play is suspected, however Cory was always very open about his struggle with substance abuse and began his second stint in rehab in March 2013 — and his devoted girlfriend bravely stood by his side during the difficult time, saying, “I love and support Cory and will stand by him through this,” she told PEOPLE. “I am grateful and proud he made this decision.” 
   
   It’s clear that one of the people he was closest to, his loving girlfriend, had no idea that he might still be struggling with this addiction. In fact just last week Lea took a quick girls trip to Cabo San Lucas, to celebrate the birthday of her friend and jewelry designer Jennifer Cohen. The Glee gal seemed so happy and carefree while having fun in the sun, snapping pics of her pedicure and sharing a slew of bikini pics on Instagram. 
   
   How Lea Michele Stood By Cory Monteith: 
   
   Cory returned from his March 2013 trip to rehab at the end of April — and he rushed right back to Lea. The star was so supportive of Cory, accompanying him to Victoria, British Columbia on April 26, where the couple enjoyed a relaxing vacation in his hometown right after his stint in rehab. The pair was spotted at a slew of local restaurants, including a coffee shop, where they were seen with Cory’s mom, Ann. 
   
   Lea was always extremely vocal about her strong feelings for Cory. “No one knows me better than Cory,” she told Marie Clare in an interview in January. “No one knows what it’s been like to go through this more than he does. Feeling like you have that net underneath you allows you to jump higher and go farther. He makes me feel like I can do anything.” 
   
   “For the first time in my life, I feel really, really settled and happy,” Lea said. “I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.” 
   
   Lea was so in love with Cory and stuck by him during such a difficult time because she was confident in their future together — and she couldn’t wait to start a family with the 31-year-old actor. Back in April, a source told HollywoodLife, “Not only does Lea want Cory to get better for his personal well being, she also wants to get pregnant and she thinks that Cory is the one and would be a wonderful father — and the sooner he is better, the sooner they can start a family!” 
   
   Cory Monteith’s Substance Abuse Struggle: 
   
   The actor’s most recent stint in rehab was mere months ago. His rep released a statement confirming his treatment, saying, “Cory Monteith has voluntarily admitted himself into a treatment facility for substance addiction. He graciously asks for your respect and privacy as he takes the necessary steps towards recovery.” 
   
   That wasn’t the first time Cory went for treatment — he first checked in for his addiction when he was 19. In an interview with Parade magazine back in 2011, he candidly addressed his struggles with substance abuse, saying he often stole money to be able to afford his addiction. “I was out of control,” Cory said. “[I used] anything and everything, as much as possible. I had a serious problem.” 
   
   Cory’s mother staged an intervention in order to help her teen get clean. “That’s when I first went to rehab,” he said — but his sobriety didn’t last long. “I did the stint but then went back to doing exactly what I left off doing.” 
   
   Eventually the actor made the decision to get clean — and he said it was a life-changing decision. “I’m lucky to be alive,” he admitted. 
   
   The actor was raised in Victoria, B.C., which isn’t far from Vancouver, where his body was discovered. 
   
   Our thoughts are with Lea and Cory’s friends and family during this sad time. The news is just heartbreaking. 
   
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYddGbqKRWM&list=PLDovhwKa3P8-Rvf4NB1uOOarbjZENBbJS&index=1 
   
   
   
   Katrina Mitzeliotis, Reporting By Russ Weakland 
   
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   More On Cory Monteith’s Death: ||||| Cory Monteith appeared a few months ago as if he was truly looking forward to the future, having finally put behind him the demons of substance abuse that had plagued him since he was a youth. 
   
   "Sending out my love to everyone," the "Glee" star said in a late April tweet to fans following a monthlong stint in rehab. "Thank you for the continued support. It means the world to me." The tweet ended with a smiley face. 
   
   He was pictured in magazines that month smiling and vacationing with longtime girlfriend and "Glee" costar Lea Michele, who had proclaimed her steadfast support for Monteith through his struggles. And he was planning to return to "Glee," the television show that had made him a heartthrob for fans known as "Gleeks." 
   
   PHOTOS: Cory Monteith dies; 'Glee' star was 31 
   
   Monteith's apparent happiness and turnaround made the news of his death even more shocking to costars and fans. The body of the 31-year-old actor was discovered Saturday shortly after noon in a room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in downtown Vancouver after he failed to check out as scheduled. 
   
   Police noted there seemed to be no evidence of foul play and said an autopsy was planned for Monday to determine the cause of death. 
   
   Monteith had been staying at the hotel since July 6, and hotel security records indicated he had returned to his room in the early-morning hours of Saturday and was believed to have been alone at the time of his death. 
   
   "OMG!! My Cory..." tweeted Iqbal Theba, who plays Principal Figgins on the Fox series, which will be entering its fifth season this fall. Dot-Marie Jones, who plays Coach Shannon Bieste, tweeted, "I have no words! My heart is broken. Cory was not only a hell of a friend he was one amazing [man] that I will hold close to my heart forever." 
   
   Representatives for Michele, who recently has been putting the final touches on her debut album, released a statement Sunday: "We ask that everyone kindly respect Lea's privacy during this devastating time." 
   
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   How Monteith's death will affect the series, which revolves around graduates and present members of a high-school choir filled with an odd collection of characters whose love of performing brings them both pleasure and pain, remained uncertain Sunday. Executive producers and executives at 20th Century Fox Television and the Fox network had not had any discussion about how the sudden death would affect the show, according to a source close to production. 
   
   Monteith had not appeared in the final episodes of the fourth season last spring due to his rehab stint. 
   
   He was one of the key attractions of "Glee," which launched with a splash in 2009, becoming an overnight sensation with its catchy renditions of popular tunes and Broadway standards. Monteith played Finn Hudson, a somewhat-clueless but kind-hearted jock who had a love for singing — and for exuberant singing star Rachel Berry (Michele). 
   
   At the height in the second season, the series was averaging more than 10 million viewers a week. But by its third season,"Glee" couldn’t hit the high notes quite like it used to. The latest season averaged 8.7 million viewers on Thursday nights. 
   
   Through the show's ups and downs, the fresh-faced Monteith had always displayed a public air of excitement and frequent awe over his fame and popularity. But he was also open about his substance-abuse problems, which dated to when he was a youngster growing up in Victoria, Canada. 
   
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   His parents divorced when he was 7, and Monteith lived with his mother. In an interview with Parade magazine in 2011, he said that by the age of 13 he was skipping school to get drunk and smoke pot. By age 16, he had tried "anything and everything, as much as possible. I had a serious problem." He attended 12 different schools, including alternative schools for troubled teens. 
   
   His family staged an intervention when he was 19, and he went to rehab. "But then I went back to doing exactly what I left off doing." Stealing money from a family member proved to be a turning point. He moved in with a family friend in Nanaimo, a small city in Canada, quit using drugs and got a job as a roofer. 
   
   Monteith began taking acting classes and working with a coach. He had bit parts on "Smallville" and "Final Destination" early in his career. A recurring role in "Kyle XY" in 2006 and 2007 was his most prominent TV part before "Glee." 
   
   He wasn't exactly a natural fit for the musical show. Creator Ryan Murphy wanted to cast young people who could act, sing and dance. Monteith didn't consider himself a "triple threat," so he sent in an audition tape of him playing "the drums" on Tupperware. 
   
   When Murphy requested another tape of him singing, Monteith obliged with what he called a cheesy rendition of the REO Speedwagon '80s classic "Can't Fight This Feeling." He got the job. 
   
   In a 2009 TV interview in Canada, Monteith said he didn't know if he would be typecast due to his "Glee" role or what the future had in store for him. He indicated that he wanted to keep acting and work hard, and believed the rest would follow. 
   
   "I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow," he said. 
   
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target: – There's no word yet on what killed Cory Monteith—the autopsy is scheduled for today, Fox News reports—but one thing is certain: After completing a month in rehab in April, Monteith seemed upbeat and looking forward to whatever the future held, the Los Angeles Times reports. He was seen in magazines vacationing with girlfriend and Glee co-star Lea Michele, and it appeared he had turned things around. In his last interview, he told E! he was "really, really happy to be coming back" to Glee; one of E!'s sources says he was "committed to getting sober. He would say this was his last chance." Then he was found dead in his Vancouver hotel room Saturday just after noon; security records show he had returned to the room in the wee hours that morning. Police say he went out with friends Friday night, but was alone when he got back to his room, the Atlantic Wire reports. Two days before his death, Monteith had "a quiet night with a lot of laughing" with a mentor who runs a children's arts charity, she tells People. "He looked so good, so healthy," she says. "I hadn't seen him look that good in a long time. ... He was in great spirits." (Click to see a photo from the meal, which could be the last photo taken of Monteith.) The mentor says no one drank alcohol during the meal, but TMZ notes Monteith was drinking on July 6, the day he checked into the hotel. Many of his Glee co-stars, as well as the show's producers and Fox network, are reacting to Monteith's death, but the only official word from Michele's rep: "We ask that everyone kindly respect Lea's privacy during this devastating time." A source tells HollywoodLife that Michele, 26, "is absolutely hysterical and completely inconsolable. She is devastated beyond belief."