Singer Chris Rea Has Passed Away At 74
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Chris Rea passed away at age 74 on December 22nd, 2025. Although the cause of death was not given by the family, the singer had been ill for some time. In 2001, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and in 2016, he suffered from a stroke, although throughout he continued to record right up until 2020.
Born in Middlesborough in the Northeast of England during its industrial decline, Rea’s music was heavily influenced by his Teeside roots. His debut album, Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? was released in 1978, with hit track "Fool (If You Think It’s Over)" reaching number 1 on the American Billboard Charts as well as winning Rea a Grammy for Best New Artist. By 1987, he was selling out Wembley Arena and touring internationally.
His most well-known song, "Driving Home for Christmas", hit the charts in 1986, in one of his final interviews, Rea spoke about the happy accident that led to its popularity.
“I wrote Driving Home For Christmas in 1978, and it sat on the shelf for eight years, until someone at my record label, Magnet, put it on the B-side of my single, Hello Friend. Then a DJ picked up on it, and started playing it instead of Hello Friend – and I still don’t know how or why they did that.”
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In 1989, the critically acclaimed Road to Hell album went six times platinum and cemented his place as a rock and blues legend. Later in his career, Chris Rea got to fulfil a childhood dream when he was cast as the lead in the 1999 British movie Parting Shots, which also starred Oliver Reed (Oliver!, Gladiator), John Cleese (Monty Python), and Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous).
Rea had a love of sport and was heavily involved in Formula One, and was a huge supporter of Middleborough FC. He is survived by his wife, Joan (who he met as a teen in his hometown), and his two daughters. Rea reportedly signed the rights to all his music to Joan early in his battle with cancer, such was the loving relationship between them. He will be sorely missed.
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Source(s): BBC, The Standard, The Express, Wikipedia
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