The family of legendary singer-songwriter Chris Rea has been plunged into grief following his death on Monday, which marks the third devastating loss among his siblings in a tragically short three-month period.
A Triple Tragedy for the Rea Family
Chris Rea, the beloved composer of the perennial festive anthem 'Driving Home for Christmas', passed away at the age of 74. His older sister, Camille Whitaker, 79, has spoken of the family's profound shock, describing the sequence of events as "gut-wrenching" and "tragic".
Mrs Whitaker revealed that the family's ordeal began in October when their youngest sibling, Nicholas, died at 66 after a battle with brain cancer in a Yorkshire hospital. In a further cruel twist, just days after Nicholas's funeral, Mrs Whitaker's twin sister, Geraldine Milward, died suddenly.
"It is an awful pain. The family has been quite shocked by it," Mrs Whitaker told the Daily Mail. "We can't sort of get around it."
A Quiet Star and a Joy Amid Sorrow
Amid the overwhelming sadness, the 'Driving Home for Christmas' star experienced a moment of pure joy shortly before his death: the birth of his first grandchild, a boy. Mrs Whitaker confirmed that Rea, who lived with his wife Joan in Buckinghamshire and remained very close to his family, was "very, very pleased" with the wonderful news.
"He has two daughters and he recently became a grandfather, to a boy... His eldest, Josephine, inspired one of his songs. And Julia, his second daughter, she is the lady who got married and had a baby," she explained.
Mrs Whitaker painted a picture of her brother as a "very shy and quiet man" and a "reluctant star". She last spoke to him just six days before his passing. "He was very quiet, he was not a great person on the phone but I enjoyed our conversations. It has left me feeling very upset. It is shocking," she said.
In a statement, his wife Joan and daughters Josie and Julia said he died peacefully in hospital surrounded by his family following a short illness.
An Idyllic Childhood and Enduring Legacy
Reflecting on their upbringing in Middlesbrough as part of a family of seven children, Mrs Whitaker recalled an idyllic childhood with their Italian father Camillo and English mother Winifred. She shared that Christmases were "really wonderful" and that the iconic song was inspired by the drive home to Middlesbrough for the festivities.
"Chris was the apple of my mother's eye. She and my father were so proud of him," she said, sharing a cherished childhood photograph.
Chris Rea's health had been a long-standing challenge. He had survived pancreatic cancer at 33 and endured multiple serious health issues over the years, including peritonitis, diabetes, and a stroke in 2016. He once revealed, "I've had nine major operations in ten years." Despite this, he continued to create music, releasing albums as recently as 2017 and 2019.
His timeless Christmas hit, a staple of the holiday season, has re-entered the UK Singles Chart every year since 2007, a testament to its enduring place in the nation's festive traditions. As tributes pour in, his family and fans are left to mourn a profoundly private man whose music became a public soundtrack for generations.
