Chris Rea Dies at 74: Icon of Driving Home for Christmas

Chris Rea (full name Christopher Anton Rea) was a British singer, songwriter, and guitarist renowned for his distinctive husky, gravelly voice and masterful slide guitar technique, blending rock, blues, pop, soul, and soft rock.[1][2][3] Born to an Italian father, he began learning guitar at age 21, inspired by artists like Joe Walsh and Eric Clapton, and entered the music scene in the 1970s by joining the band Magdalene before forming his own group, Beautiful Losers, which earned acclaim as Melody Maker's best new band despite limited commercial success.[1][2][3] His solo career launched in 1978 with the hit "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" from his debut album *Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?*, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and charted strongly in the US.[1][3] After early struggles, Rea achieved breakthrough success in Europe during the 1980s with platinum albums like *Wired to the Moon* (1984) and *Shamrock Diaries* (1985), featuring the hit "Josephine," dedicated to his daughter.[2] His career peaked with the 1989 multi-platinum album *The Road to Hell*, which topped the UK charts and produced enduring tracks like the title song alongside holiday staple "Driving Home for Christmas," inspired by a traffic jam en route home with his wife.[1][2][3] Over five decades, Rea released 25 studio albums, selling more than 30 million records worldwide, with 362 weeks on the UK albums chart between 1978 and 2005.[1][2][3] He mastered multiple instruments, including piano, keyboards, and harmonica, and later returned to blues roots via his Jazzee Blue label, culminating in projects like the *Blue Guitars* box set and his final release, *The Christmas Album*, in October 2025.[1] Despite health challenges in the 2000s, he remained a beloved figure for his authentic lyrics on life and travel.[1][3] Rea passed away on December 22, 2025, at age 74, after a short illness, dying peacefully in hospital surrounded by family.[1]