Chris Rea, best known for the festive classic ‘Driving Home For Christmas’, has died aged 74 following a short illness.
In a statement released on behalf of the family, they said the singer “passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.”
Rea had faced serious health challenges for many years. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had his pancreas removed in 2001, and later suffered a stroke in 2016. No specific cause of death has been disclosed.
Rising to prominence in the late 1970s, Rea enjoyed sustained success through the 1980s with hits including Fool (If You Think It’s Over), Let’s Dance and The Road to Hell. However, he became especially synonymous with Christmas thanks to his 1986 hit Driving Home For Christmas, which remains a seasonal staple and featured prominently in an M&S advert this festive period.
His family described the news as coming with “immense sadness,” calling Rea a “beloved” husband, father and grandfather.
Only last week, Rea spoke to the Daily Express about the origins of his famous Christmas song, revealing it was originally written for Van Morrison.
“The song sat on a shelf for eight years,” he said, explaining that it was eventually released as the B-side to Hello Friend. A DJ then accidentally played it instead of the A-side. “I still don’t know why or how that mix-up happened,” Rea said.
What began as a mistake turned the track into a modern Christmas classic, steadily climbing the charts each year in the streaming era.
“It’s got a story everyone can relate to,” Rea explained. “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.”
Reflecting on the song’s tone, he added: “It’s a frustrating song, but it’s also hopeful and comforting. It’s funny, because I’d just been banned from driving when I wrote it.”
Despite its popularity, Rea avoided performing Driving Home For Christmas live until 2014, when his tour crew persuaded him to add it to the setlist.
“The response was nuts,” he recalled. “The noise was deafening, and we covered everyone with fake snow. But I got fined £12,000 for the clean-up afterwards! I was more in the Christmas spirit than the venue was.”
Chris Rea leaves behind a musical legacy spanning decades, with songs that continue to resonate across generations, especially each winter, when millions once again find themselves driving home for Christmas.
