British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, best known for the 1986 Christmas hit Driving Home for Christmas, died on Monday at the age of 74. This was announced by the spokesman of his family. “It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of our beloved Chris. He passed away peacefully today in hospital after a short illness, surrounded by his family,” he said.
The death of the unforgettable artist shortly before Christmas shocked his fans around the world. The sad news also hit singer Zuzana Smatanová. “This and now?! After all, he was supposed to travel home for Christmas.” wrote the musician on her Instagram profile, alluding to his Christmas hit. She also added a smiley with a tear coming from her eye. You can find the post in the gallery.
Pancreatic cancer and stroke
Chris Rea was born on March 4, 1951 in the English city of Middlesbrough to an Italian father and an Irish mother. He was known for his characteristic raspy voice and slide guitar style playing.
Chris Rea’s career spans two distinct periods. In the 80s and 90s, he focused on pop-rock and soft-rock. Sem patria jeho najväčšie hity ako I Can Hear Your Heartbeat (1983), Josephine (1985), On the Beach (1986), Let’s Dance (1987), Driving Home for Christmas (1986), Road to Hell (Part 2) (1989), Auberge (1991), Looking for the Summer (1991) a Julia (1993).
Since 1995, he has been troubled by several health problems. The turning point came in 2001, when he was diagnosed with a specific form of pancreatic cancer, as a result of which he underwent multiple operations and was hospitalized for 32 weeks. He was kept alive by medication and daily doses of insulin, so he concentrated on painting and recording blues music in his own studio.
In 2005, he released the album Blue Guitars, which was in the form of a book and contained eleven CDs, one DVD and reproductions of his paintings. In 2006, Rea completed his official farewell tour. He suffered a stroke in December 2016, from which he recovered only slowly. A year later, while touring with his new album Road Songs for Lovers, he collapsed on stage in Oxford.
Rea has released 26 studio albums, two of which topped the UK Albums Chart. He sold more than 40 million records during his career. As a guest musician, Rea can be heard on the albums of many other artists such as Bill Wyman, John Mayall, Snowy White, Elton John či Paul Rodgers.
He never toured the United States, where he was best known for his 1978 single Fool (If You Think It’s Over), which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, earning him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Newcomer.
Rea was a fan of vintage car racing and took part in several Formula 1 competitions, including as a pit mechanic for the Jordan team during the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix. He recorded the song Saudade in honor of three-time Formula 1 world champion Ayrton Senna. Rea was married to Joan Lesley, with whom he has two daughters.
