The music world is mourning the loss of Chris Rea, the beloved British rocker who passed away on Monday at the age of 74 after a short illness. His wife Joan and their daughters Josie and Julia led the tributes to the 'beloved' star, whose life was marked by profound health struggles and an enduring love story that culminated in an extraordinary gift.
A Love Story Forged in Adversity
In his final televised interview on BBC’s Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing in 2020, Rea opened up about how his severe health battles, including a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer at 33, brought him and his childhood sweetheart Joan even closer. The Middlesbrough-born musician, who met Joan when he was just 16, faced a series of major operations over a decade for conditions including peritonitis, pancreatic cancer, and diabetes, later requiring insulin injections seven times a day.
Recalling a pivotal moment in hospital, Rea said a nurse told him, "it’s not grade three cancer – phone your wife!". He recounted: "So I phone my wife and she pulled the car over and burst into tears." This shared journey of recovery, as discussed with host Bob Mortimer who spoke of his own experiences, solidified their bond. It was in this spirit that Rea made a remarkable decision regarding his musical legacy.
The Ultimate Gift: A Fortune in Song Rights
Chris Rea revealed during that poignant conversation that he had gifted his wife, Joan, the rights to his entire song catalogue. This incredible act of love included the festive juggernaut "Driving Home For Christmas", a track that generates an estimated £210,000 in royalties annually and has contributed significantly to his £15 million fortune.
With characteristic wit, Rea laughed about the arrangement: "I gave her all the money, all the rights to all the songs, and now she won’t give them back." The song, released in 1986, is far from a one-hit wonder but remains his most commercially successful single, having earned over £7 million. It reliably re-enters the UK Singles Chart each December, peaking at number 10 in 2021, and has been featured in major adverts like this year's Marks & Spencer campaign.
The Ironic Origins of a Christmas Classic
The backstory to "Driving Home For Christmas" is filled with cruel irony. Rea explained he was actually banned from driving when he penned the classic. "I was on the dole when I wrote that, my manager had just left me, I'd just been banned from driving," he said. "My now wife Joan had to drive down to London and pick me up in the mini and take me home and that's when I wrote it."
He initially resisted releasing the track, but his record company insisted. His career, which began in his 20s, saw him sell 30 million records worldwide with hits like "The Road to Hell", but the Christmas anthem became his defining work. A clip from his final interview was shared to his Instagram just days before his death, captioned: 'Chris Rea tells Bob Mortimer how he wrote Driving Home for Christmas’. His last post on Sunday featured an image of a car on a snowy road with the poignant sign: 'Driving home for Christmas with a thousand memories'.
Announcing his passing, his family stated: "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." Tributes have flooded in, with many fans noting the poignant timing of his death so close to the holiday season his music soundtracked for millions.
