Chris Rea, the British singer-songwriter greatest identified for the hit “Driving Residence for Christmas,” has died on the age of 74, his household introduced on Monday.
“It’s with immense disappointment that we announce the demise of beloved Chris,” mentioned a press release on behalf of his spouse and two kids, the BBC reported. “He handed away peacefully in hospital earlier at the moment following a brief sickness, surrounded by his household.”
Further particulars weren’t instantly accessible.
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Christopher Anton Rea was born in 1951 in Middlesbrough, in northeast England, to an Italian father and Irish mom. He was considered one of seven kids.
He got here late to the guitar, selecting one up at 21, and performed in bands earlier than going solo.
Rea discovered fame within the Eighties in Britain with hits similar to “Idiot (If You Suppose It is Over)” and “Let’s Dance.”
All through his profession, Rea recorded 25 solo albums, two of which — “The Highway to Hell” in 1989 and “Auberge” in 1991 — went to No. 1 within the nation. The music he’s in all probability most well-known for within the U.S., “Idiot (If You Suppose It is Over),” earned Rea a Grammy nomination for Finest New Artist in 1979.
“Driving Residence for Christmas,” first launched in 1986, grew to become one of many U.Okay.’s most beloved festive songs and featured in a Marks and Spencer’s TV commercial this yr.
In line with the BBC, the household was identified regionally for Camillo’s ice cream manufacturing facility and cafes, which his father owned.
The mayor of Middlesbrough, Chris Cooke, paid tribute to Rea on Monday, saying the singer “leaves behind an excellent legacy.”
“Chris Rea was deeply happy with his Middlesbrough roots and the folks of our city had been equally proud to name him considered one of their very own,” he mentioned, in accordance with the BBC. “Thousands and thousands of individuals around the globe will hearken to his music tonight. His songs helped put Middlesbrough on the map and he leaves behind an excellent legacy.”
He had suffered from well being issues, together with pancreatic most cancers, and in 2016, he suffered a stroke. In more moderen years, he turned away from pop and launched a number of bluesy information.
Rea is survived by his spouse and two daughters.
