The music world is mourning the loss of Chris Rea, the beloved singer-songwriter whose timeless hit Driving Home For Christmas became a festive staple. Rea passed away peacefully in hospital on Monday at the age of 74, surrounded by his family, following a short illness.
The Song That Saved a Career
The genesis of his most famous song is a story of serendipity and salvation. In 1978, a struggling Rea was driving his Austin Mini up the M1 from London's Abbey Road studios towards his hometown of Middlesbrough with his wife Joan. Stuck in heavy traffic, the melody for Driving Home For Christmas came to him. At the time, his career was faltering; his debut album had underperformed and he and Joan were struggling to pay their mortgage.
Rea later recalled returning to a freezing cold house, where a single letter lay on the floor. It contained a royalty cheque. Unbeknownst to him, a track from that debut album, Fool (If You Think It's Over), had become a hit on American radio, charting on the Billboard Hot 100. That unexpected windfall saved his home and revitalised his career.
A Defiant Battle With Health
Chris Rea's life was marked by profound resilience in the face of serious health challenges. At just 33 years old, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, undergoing an operation to remove part of the organ. The surgery left him with lifelong diabetes, requiring seven daily insulin injections.
He later suffered a debilitating stroke in 2016 and endured further bouts of cancer. Rea stated that the original diagnosis 'hit me hard' and was his 'Mount Everest to climb', but his determination to recover for his wife and two daughters, Josephine and Julia, saw him through.
The Reluctant 'Rock Star'
Despite achieving global fame with multi-million selling albums like On The Beach and Dancing With Strangers in the mid-1980s, Rea vehemently rejected the rock star label. He expressed contempt for the lifestyle, criticising its narcissism and lack of focus on music itself.
His priorities were always his family and his passions, which included collecting sports cars—a hobby endorsed by friend Nick Mason of Pink Floyd, who quipped it was better than heroin. Rea often refused extensive tours, famously preferring to grow tomatoes, a freedom his enduring hit allowed him.
His final social media post, shared on Sunday, poignantly echoed his legacy: a photo of a snowy motorway sign reading 'Driving home for Christmas with a thousand memories', captioned 'Top to toe in tailbacks.' For millions, Chris Rea will forever be the voice of that heartfelt Christmas journey.
