The music world is mourning the loss of Chris Rea, the beloved British singer-songwriter famed for his husky voice and timeless hit Driving Home for Christmas. He has died at the age of 74, leaving behind a legacy that spanned pop superstardom and a heartfelt return to his blues roots.
From Ice Cream Vans to International Fame
Born in Middlesbrough in 1951 to an Irish mother and Italian father, Rea's early life was far from the spotlight. After leaving school, he worked labouring jobs and helped in the family ice cream business. Remarkably, he didn't pick up a guitar until he was 21 years old, but he quickly displayed a prodigious talent.
His debut album, Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?, arrived in 1978, but it was in the mid-1980s that his fame truly skyrocketed. By the time On The Beach was released in 1986, Rea was a major star across the UK and Europe. His commercial peak came with two UK number one albums: The Road To Hell (1989) and Auberge (1991).
A Life-Changing Health Battle and Artistic Reinvention
Rea's life and career took a dramatic turn following a series of serious health problems. In 2001, he underwent surgery to remove his pancreas after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, an experience he later described as life-changing and a trigger for depression.
This profound scare led him to refocus on the music he loved most: the blues. I wasn't frightened of dying, he once said. What got me through was the thought of leaving a record that my two teenage daughters could say, 'That's what Papa did – not the pop stuff, but the blues music. That's what he was about'.
This passion fuelled a creative renaissance, resulting in acclaimed blues records like Hofner Blue Notes and the Blue Guitars project. I feel I've had three careers in one, really, Rea reflected, citing his early pop phase, his 80s success, and his final blues chapter.
Resilience in the Face of Further Struggles
Rea's resilience was tested again in 2016 when he suffered a stroke. He recovered sufficiently to launch the album Road Songs For Lovers in 2017 and embark on a tour. However, the tour was interrupted when he collapsed on stage at the New Theatre in Oxford.
Throughout his health battles, he credited his family as his anchor. Married to his wife Joan since they were teenagers in Middlesbrough, and a father to two daughters, Josephine and Julia, he said: It's music and family with me. I'm only one of four, that's how I am.
Chris Rea's journey—from the factories of Middlesbrough to global stages, through life-threatening illness and back to the raw blues he cherished—cements his status as one of Britain's most distinctive and enduring musical voices.
