Billboard Bits serves up the best bite-sized nuggets of music news and gossip.
Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, Chris Colfer Not Returning for “Glee” Season 4
After “Glee’s” upcoming third season, cast regulars Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith will depart “Glee” after its upcoming third season, executive producer Ryan Murphy has confirmed. Murphy chalks the departures up to the show’s realism: “”You can keep them on the show for six years and people will criticize you for not being realistic,” he said, “or you can be really true to life and say when they started the show they were very clearly sophomores and they should graduate at the end of their senior year.” ( TV Line)
Rilo Kiley Confirms Break-Up
Country-pop band Rilo Kiley has officially broken up. Guitarist Blake Sennett spilled to Spinner that he “felt like there was a lot of deception, disloyalty, greed,” and the band had reached a point where it could no longer exist under such toxic circumstances. Despite the break-up, Sennett plans on personally working on Rilo Kiley’s unreleased material. ( Spinner)
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Barbra Streisand in Negotiations to Renew Contract with Columbia
After Barbra Streisand renegotiated her contract with Columbia Records several times during the past four decades, her current agreement – signed in 1992 and estimated at the time to be worth $60 million – is set to expire with the release of her next album, “What Matters Most” (out Aug. 23). To get Streisand to stay could cost Columbia a small fortune – in the vicinity of $20 million for a deal that might include one new album and three reissues, estimates one industry source. ( THR)
Gucci Mane Hosts Welcome Home Party in Atlanta
After being released from prison on Friday (July 11), Gucci Mane hosted a “welcome home” party in Atlanta on Sunday night. Among the attendees: Floyd Mayweather, Lil Kim and Tony Yayo. ( RapRadar)
St. Vincent Unveils “Strange Mercy” Track List, Tour Dates
Indie songstress St. Vincent has unveiled the cover artwork and 11-song track list for her third album, “Strange Mercy,” due out Sept. 13. The singer (real name: Annie Clark) has also announced 22 tour dates supporting the album, beginning Oct. 2 in Minneapolis. ( Spin)
(Reporting by the Jason Lipshutz, Carly Wolkoff and The Hollywood Reporter)