Chris Rea, the singer and guitarist remembered for hits including the festive classic “Driving Home For Christmas,” has died at 74, according to NME. The news was confirmed by his family on December 22, with a spokesperson for his wife and two children saying, “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris.”
“He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family,” they added.
Rea was born on March 4, 1951 in Middlesbrough, England, one of seven children to an Italian father and an Irish mother and his first job was working for his family’s ice cream business.
He taught himself to play guitar but he did not pursue a career in music until his early 20s, when he joined the band, Magdalene. Over the course of his career, he released over 25 studio albums, two of which, “The Road To Hell” (1989) and “Auberge” (1991) topped the UK Albums Chart and his music blended blues, pop and soul.
He released his debut album in 1978 and scored hits with “Fool (If You Think It’s Over),” “On The Beach,” “Josephine” and “The Road To Hell (Part 2)”, but it is the 1988 hit “Driving Home For Christmas” for which he will be best remembered.
Rea revealed in an interview with NME that he was under a driving ban when he wrote the song. “It’s a frustrating song, but it’s also hopeful and comforting,” he explained. “It’s funny, because I’d just been banned from driving when I wrote it. But I was feeling good at the time too, and people say they can hear that infectious feel-good mood when they hear it.”
He struggled with health issues for many years, being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1994 and having surgery to remove his pancreas, gallbladder and part of his liver. He also suffered a stroke in 2016 and collapsed on stage in Oxford a year later.
Rea is survived by his wife Joan and their daughters Josephine and Julia.
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