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Chris Rea, 'Driving Home for Christmas' Singer, Dies at 74

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Chris Rea. Video screenshot

 

Chris Rea, beloved for his festive hit "Driving Home for Christmas," has passed away at the age of 74. The legendary musician died peacefully in hospital on Monday, surrounded by his family, following a brief illness. A family statement expressed deep sadness over their loss.

 

Rea, known for his bluesy sound, produced numerous hits, including "Auberge," "On the Beach," and "The Road to Hell." Middlesbrough FC paid tribute, praising him as a "Teesside icon." His song "Driving Home for Christmas," which tells the story of a traveller returning home in traffic, was recently featured in an M&S Food advert.

 

Rea's journey to creating his 1988 Christmas classic began in the late 70s, as he recalled being picked up by his then-girlfriend, now wife, Joan, during difficult times. The song's popularity remains strong, with several artists covering it, and it brings fond memories to Rea of a "lovely little holiday in the Maldives."

 

Throughout his career, Rea faced numerous health challenges. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at 33, he underwent significant surgery that resulted in type 1 diabetes and later suffered a stroke in 2016. Despite these setbacks, he continued to make music, releasing albums such as "Road Songs For Lovers" in 2017 and "The Christmas Album" in October 2025.

 

Rea's roots in Middlesbrough were essential to him, and he often discussed his mixed Irish-Italian heritage and early years helping in his family's ice cream business. His love for music emerged with the guitar, eventually leading him to international success in the 1980s with chart-topping albums "The Road To Hell" and "Auberge."

 

In the wake of his death, tributes poured in. Journalist Tony Parsons hailed him as an "underrated songwriter," and TV personality Lizzie Cundy expressed her honour in working with him. Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald highlighted Rea's lasting influence through his music, reported the BBC.

 

 

Key Takeaways:

  • Chris Rea, adored for "Driving Home for Christmas," died at 74.
  • He faced health issues, including cancer and a stroke, but continued to create music.
  • Tributes highlight his impact as both a musician and beloved local figure.

 

image.png  Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC 2025-12-23

 

 

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On the beach   rip cris 

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Road to Hell. a great track ,

R.I.P. Chris.

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Heartbreaking news - I loved Chris Rea's laid back authority and his fabulous voice and great music. He guested on the 'Mortimer and Whitehouse' program some years ago (and I felt, he really didn't look too well).

 

R.I.P. - what a great Guy !

 

 

Also https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/dec/22/chris-rea-rock-and-blues-singer-songwriter-dies-aged-74

His best :

Tennis

Josephine

Let it loose

I don't know what it is but I love it

I can hear your heart beat

Candles

On the beach

 
 

 

RIP. LOve his song Coming Home for Christmas, When first heard, thought it was from a black singer. 

Great musician - I loved his gravelly voice.

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Saw him in concert in the U.K. many moons ago and he was excellent !!

 

Stainsby Girls and Steel River were amazing, great crowd pleasers.

 

RIP Chris 

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I'll pop an egg into my bath tonight in tribute.

9 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I'll pop an egg into my bath tonight in tribute.

Would you lie to me?

3 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

Clearly decency means more to me than you, turning the thread into an argument for the sake of some moral grandstanding. 

 

Take your performative outrage elsewhere. 😀

Someone died and you can't think of anything better to say? Embarrassing!

14 minutes ago, ujayujay said:

Someone died and you can't think of anything better to say? Embarrassing!

 

Ironic, given that I said RIP and you couldn't even be bothered to do that and only posted to attack another poster. 😄

 

Paying respect and then discussing his songs and their content is perfectly appropriate in such a thread.  

2 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

Ironic, given that I said RIP and you couldn't even be bothered to do that and only posted to attack another poster. 😄

 

Paying respect and then discussing his songs and their content is perfectly appropriate in such a thread.  

Looking forward to a post from you without flaming.

3 hours ago, Usnh said:

A bit like Barry Manilow right?

 

A bit better than Manilow in my opinion. Others may differ. 

 

Which reminds me...

 

What's got 99 legs and no teeth? The front row of a Barry Manilow concert. 😄

1 minute ago, stevenl said:

Looking forward to a post from you without flaming.

 

How on earth is that flaming? 

 

I suggest you take your bickering to another thread if you don't like my politics. This one is paying respect to Chris Rea. 

Troll post removed.

 

@thesetat another reminder, rule 17.News articles are collected from recognised sources and may be consolidated or rewritten with AI assistance. Respectful discussion of the article content is welcome. Disrespectful comments about the articles, the use of AI, or the news team (e.g. “clickbait,” “slow news day,” mocking grammar, or AI taunts) are not permitted. Posts breaching this rule will be removed, and posting suspension or account closure may result. If you see an error in an article, please use the report function.

The Blue Cafe, and my absolute favorite, Danielle's Breakfast.

 

RIP Chris, and thanks for all the music.

37 years ago the first song played every evening in my restaurant on Ssmui was On the Beach, still in my Spotify rotation today. 

Been thinking 'bout it lately

Been watching some TV

Been looking all around me

At what has come to be

Been talking to my neighbor

And he agrees with me

It's all gone crazy

I hope you found your own way to a better place, Chris. The road to hell is paved for us other sinners.

 

You were one helluva musician. You made my life brighter in the late 80's.

Rest in peace, Sir.

RIP Chris,top musician - I was lucky to see him in the Albert Hall way back when. He was on stage for 3 hours plus - I think the staff finally kicked him off to go home!

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