Chris Rea, the British singer-songwriter known for hits including Driving Home for Christmas, 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 25 studio albums blended blues, pop, soul and soft rock, producing classics such as The Road to Hell, On the Beach and Josephine.
Despite early struggles, Rea found major success in the late 1980s with a run of six UK top 10 albums. His perennial favourite Driving Home for Christmas, written while he was without a manager and banned from driving, grew in popularity over the years, reaching a chart high of No 10 in 2021.
Rea faced significant health challenges, including a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in 2001, which led to the removal of his pancreas and parts of his stomach and small intestine. He also suffered a stroke in 2016 and collapsed on stage in Oxford in 2017.
He is survived by his wife Joan, whom he began dating at age 17, and their two daughters, Josephine and Julia.
