British singer Chris Rea, of ‘Driving Home for Christmas,’ dead at 74
British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, whose hits included ‘Driving Home for Christmas,’ ‘The Road to Hell,’ and ‘Fool (If You Think It’s Over)’, died Monday after a short illness, his family said. He was 74.
“It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris,” his wife Joan and their two children said in a joint statement. “He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.”
The statement added: “Chris’s music has created the soundtrack to many lives, and his legacy will live on through the songs he leaves behind.”
Rea’s 1988 song ‘Driving Home for Christmas’ is one of the most popular Christmas songs in the world, alongside other hits such as Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and Wham!’s “Last Christmas.” His death comes just 3 days before Christmas.
Rea had suffered a number of health issues over the years, including a stroke in 2016 which left him with reduced movement in his arms and fingers. He collapsed on stage during a gig in Oxford the following year. It was the last time he performed in public.
More recently, his health appeared to be improving, and he gave an interview to the Daily Express newspaper which was published only 3 days before his death.
“I’ve been trying a few different things out: long blues and jazz instrumentals. I’m going back to my roots and seeing where they take me next,” he said. He also teased a third volume for ‘The Road To Hell,’ saying: “Look at the news. We might be on Part 3 now.”
Rea never expected ‘Driving Home for Christmas’ to become such a hit, and was actually trying to get Van Morrison to sing it when he wrote it in the late 1970s. “We only recorded it ourselves just to hear what it would sound like,” he told the newspaper.
Rea added: “I wrote ‘Driving Home for Christmas’ in 1978, and it sat on the shelf for 8 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’”
The final version of ‘Driving Home for Christmas’ was recorded in 1988 and failed to reach the Top 40 that year, but grew increasingly popular over the years. It is now one of the most-played songs every Christmas.
“It’s only really since streaming that I’ve seen how it’s become a staple for everyone,” Rea said in his final interview. “It’s got a story everyone can relate to: you’re stuck in traffic, when all you want to do is to get home and be with your loved ones. Everyone in the country is doing the same thing at the same time.”
Other well-known songs performed by Rea include ‘The Road to Hell,’ ‘On the Beach,’ and ‘Fool (If You Think It’s Over)’, the latter of which became particularly well-known in the U.S. and earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist. He sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.
Rea is survived by his wife, Joan Lesley, whom he met in 1968 when they were both teenagers, and their two daughters, Josephine and Julia.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
