Chris Rea, the British singer-songwriter best known for his festive hit "Driving Home For Christmas," has died at age 74. He passed away in hospital on Monday following a short illness, just three days before Christmas.
Rea's family released a statement to the Press Association confirming the news. "It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris," the statement read. "He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family." Rea is survived by his wife Joan, whom he had been with since they met at age 16, and two daughters, Josephine and Julia.
Tributes from Middlesbrough
Comedian Bob Mortimer, 66, who like Rea hailed from Middlesbrough, paid tribute on X. "So so sad. A lovely brilliant funny giant of a bloke. Oh Man….RIP Chris .. Boro legend forever. Love to family and friends," Mortimer wrote, sharing a photo of Rea in a bath with an egg. The two had collaborated in 1997, recording "Let's Dance" for Middlesbrough Football Club's FA Cup final.
Middlesbrough Football Club expressed deep sadness on X, calling Rea a "Teesside icon." TV personality Lizzie Cundy wrote on Instagram that she was "heartbroken," recalling making a music video for "Driving Home For Christmas" with him.
Musical legacy
Born in Middlesbrough in 1951 to an Irish mother and Italian father, Rea found fame in the late 1970s and 1980s. His 1978 debut album "Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?" included the Grammy-nominated track "Fool (If You Think It's Over)." He became a major solo star in the UK with "Road To Hell" in 1989, which topped the UK charts alongside 1991's "Auberge."
"Driving Home For Christmas," first released in 1986, became his most famous song. In a 2020 appearance on "Mortimer And Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Christmas special," Rea revealed he wrote it while on unemployment benefits after being banned from driving. "My now wife, Joan, she had to drive down to London, picked me up in the Mini, and take me home, and that's when I wrote it," he told Mortimer. The song currently features in the M&S Food Christmas advert.
Rea had dealt with ill health for years and suffered a stroke in 2016. He released a Christmas-themed album earlier this year.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).