Driving Home for Christmas singer Chris Rea dies aged 74
Chris Rea, the musician behind the festive classic Driving Home for Christmas, has died at the age of 74.
The singer died on Monday in hospital following a short illness, a spokesperson for his family said.
A statement on behalf of his wife and two children read: "It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris.
"He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family."
The blues-influenced star had a string of hits included Auberge, On the Beach, Fool (If You Think It's Over), Let's Dance and Road to Hell.
Paying tribute on X, Middlesborough FC said: "We're deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Chris Rea. A Teesside icon. Rest in peace, Chris."
Rea's 1980s smash Driving Home for Christmas tells the story of a weary traveller making his way home in heavy traffic.
This year, it has been brought to new audiences as the backdrop to the M&S Food Christmas advert.
In 2020, the singer's social media platforms posted a chat between the Rea and his friend and fellow Middlesbrough native comedian Bob Mortimer, explaining how he came to write the track.
Rea said he was on the dole at the time, his manager had just left him and he had been banned from driving.
His then-girlfriend Joan (who he met when they were both 16 and went on to marry) had to pick him up in London in her mini and drive him home.
That's what inspired the song, which was written in 1978, 10 years before it was released as a single in 1988.
Asked about what he thinks of when he hears the song, the singer joked about how it bought him "that lovely little holiday in the Maldives".
The song has since been covered by artists including Engelbert Humperdinck and Stacey Solomon.
Rea was good friends with Mortimer and in 1997 they recorded Let's Dance for Middlesbrough Football Club's FA Cup Final.
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On Monday evening, Mortimer posted on X: "So so sad. A lovely brilliant funny giant of a bloke. Oh Man... RIP Chris... Boro legend forever. Love to family and friends."
But alongside the singer-songwriter's success, he had suffered with various bouts of ill-health over the years.
He had his pancreas removed a few years after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of just 33 in 1994, which meant he developed type 1 diabetes. He later had a stroke in 2016.
