British rock and blues icon Chris Rea — whose soulful hit Driving Home for Christmas has become the unofficial soundtrack of the holidays — has died at 74.
According to his family, the Middlesbrough-born musician passed away peacefully in hospital after a short illness.
Rea’s gravelly voice and heartfelt songwriting made him one of Britain’s most beloved performers. Over his 40-year career, he released 25 studio albums and sold more than 30 million records, blending blues, pop, and soft rock with timeless ease.
His best-known songs include The Road to Hell, On the Beach, Josephine, and, of course, Driving Home for Christmas — which became a holiday staple decades after its quiet debut in 1986. The festive track finally hit the UK Top 10 in 2021, a testament to its lasting charm.
Born in 1951 to an Italian father and Irish mother, Rea once described himself as “an outsider” growing up in a coffee bar in industrial Middlesbrough. Before fame, he worked in his father’s ice-cream factory and toyed with journalism before finding his calling in music.
His breakout came in 1978 with Fool (If You Think It’s Over), which earned him a Grammy nomination. But it wasn’t until the late ’80s — with albums like Dancing with Strangers and The Road to Hell — that Rea became a household name in the UK.
Ironically, Driving Home for Christmas was born during one of his toughest moments. He wrote the song while broke, out of a record deal, and banned from driving — jotting down lyrics as his wife Joan drove him home for the holidays. “If I’m ever stuck on the M25, I’ll wind the window down and start singing it,” he later joked.
Beyond music, Rea was a motor racing enthusiast who even worked as a pit mechanic for the Jordan Formula One team in the ’90s.
He faced serious health battles in later years, including pancreatic cancer and a stroke, but continued performing for as long as his strength allowed.
Rea is survived by his wife Joan, his lifelong partner since age 17, and their daughters Josephine and Julia — both immortalized in his songs.
As his most famous lyric reminds us: for millions each year, thanks to Chris Rea, we’re all still “driving home for Christmas.”
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