Chris Rea, the British singer-songwriter known for hits such as 'Driving Home for Christmas' and 'The Road to Hell', has died at the age of 74. A spokesperson for his family confirmed that he died peacefully in hospital following a short illness.
Rea, born in Middlesbrough in 1951 to an Italian father and Irish mother, sold more than 30 million albums over a career spanning five decades. His music blended blues, pop, soul and soft rock, with tracks like 'On the Beach' and 'Josephine' also gaining popularity in the Balearic dance scene.
His breakthrough came in the US with the 1978 single 'Fool (If You Think It's Over)', which reached No 12 and earned him a Grammy nomination. However, his most commercially successful period was the late 1980s, when he achieved six UK top 10 albums, including two that reached No 1. 'Driving Home for Christmas', originally recorded in 1986, became a perennial festive favourite, reaching a chart high of No 10 in 2021.
Rea faced several health challenges, including pancreatic cancer in 2001, which led to the removal of his pancreas and parts of his stomach and small intestine, leaving him diabetic. He also suffered a stroke in 2016 and collapsed on stage in 2017. He is survived by his wife Joan and their two daughters, Josephine and Julia.
