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Rock and blues singer Chris Rea, who was known for his hit Driving Home for Christmas, has died aged 74.
His family shared the heartbreaking news in a statement, revealing that he died on December 22.
“Singer/songwriter and guitarist Chris Rea passed away earlier today in hospital following a short illness,” they said.
They said he “passed away peacefully” and was “surrounded by his family”.
He is survived by his wife, Joan, and their daughters, Josephine and Julia Christina.
Throughout his life, he faced different health issues.
In 2001, he had his pancreas removed after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and suffered from a stroke in 2016.
An announcement about his passing was also made on the singer and songwriter’s Instagram page, which also paid tribute to his music legacy.
“Chris’s music has created the soundtrack to many lives, and his legacy will live on through the songs he leaves behind,” it read.
Throughout his career, he recorded 25 solo albums and sold over 40 million records globally.
What was Chris Rea’s biggest hit?
His beloved hit, Driving Home For Christmas, originated from his and his wife’s 220-mile journey home for Christmas in 1978.
As his wife navigated the roads, he scribbled lyrics down and then put them away with other unfinished writings when he got home.
Eight years later, he brought them together with some jazz chords he’d written down.
At the time, he was banned from driving and told The Guardian that his manager told him he was going to leave him.
“We kept getting stuck in traffic and I’d look across at the other drivers, who all looked so miserable,” he explained. “Jokingly, I started singing: ‘We’re driving home for Christmas … ‘ Then, whenever the street lights shone inside the car, I started writing down lyrics.”
He never intended to write a Christmas hit, but when his career took off again, his team helped him refine it.
Before his death, Chris Rea posted a photo to Instagram of a passenger mirror covered in snow, with “Driving Home for Christmas with a thousand memories” spotted in the background.
In the caption, he wrote, “Top to toe in tailbacks ❄️🚗 If it’s a white Christmas, let’s hope the journey’s a smooth one”.
