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Driving Home for Christmas singer Chris Rea dies
December22
Chris Rea, the British singer-songwriter best known for Driving Home for Christmas, has died at the age of 74, according to a statement from his family.
In a message issued by his wife and two children, the family said Rea “passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.” Rea had previously been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and underwent surgery in 2001.
Born in Middlesbrough to an Italian father and an Irish mother, Rea rose to prominence in the late 1970s and 1980s with a series of successful releases.
His debut album, Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?, was released in 1978, with the single Fool (If You Think It’s Over) earning a Grammy nomination. He later achieved major commercial success with albums including The Road to Hell (1989) and Auberge (1991), both of which topped the UK album charts.
Rea became a seasonal fixture with Driving Home for Christmas, first released in 1986. The song has remained a regular presence on UK radio and television during the festive period and returned to the charts again in recent weeks, reaching number 30 in the latest Christmas chart.
Across a career spanning more than four decades, Rea built a catalogue that combined blues, rock and adult contemporary music, establishing him as a consistent presence in the UK and European live and recorded music markets.
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