Chris Rea, the beloved British singer-songwriter behind the Christmas classic “Driving Home for Christmas” and the epic “The Road to Hell,” has died at the age of 74 after a short illness. His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully in hospital on 22 December 2025, surrounded by his loved ones, leaving generations of fans mourning a unique voice in rock and blues.
Chris Rea’s Life and Career
Christopher Anton Rea was born on 4 March 1951 in Middlesbrough, England, to an Italian father and Irish mother, and grew up working in his family’s ice cream business before turning to music in his twenties. Known for his husky voice and distinctive slide guitar, he released 25 studio albums, with “The Road to Hell” (1989) and “Auberge” (1991) both topping the UK albums chart and cementing his status as a major European star.
His catalogue spans radio staples like “Fool (If You Think It’s Over),” “On the Beach,” “Let’s Dance,” and “Driving Home for Christmas,” a song that slowly evolved from B-side curiosity to one of the UK and Ireland’s most enduring festive anthems, returning to the charts every December.[web:607][web:610][web:616]
How Did Chris Rea Die?
Rea’s family announced that he died in hospital on Monday, 22 December 2025, following a short illness, adding that he passed away peacefully, surrounded by his wife and two daughters. News outlets across the UK reported his death just days before Christmas, a poignant moment given how closely he had become associated with the seasonal ritual of driving home for the holidays.
For years, he had lived with serious health issues, including pancreatic cancer that led to the removal of his pancreas in 2001 and a stroke in 2016, but he continued to write, record and release music despite multiple major operations and long-term complications.
Health Battles Behind the Music
Rea often spoke candidly about surviving pancreatic cancer, describing how the surgery changed his life and pushed him toward a more intimate, blues-driven sound, away from commercial expectations. Later he faced conditions such as diabetes, kidney problems and retroperitoneal fibrosis, enduring nine major operations in about a decade yet still returning to the studio and stage until he finally retired from performing after collapsing at a concert in Oxford in 2017.
Even with these challenges, he released late-career albums like “Road Songs for Lovers” (2017) and “One Fine Day” (2019), proving his determination to keep creating music that felt honest, weathered and deeply human.
The Story Behind “Driving Home for Christmas”
“Driving Home for Christmas” began life in the 1980s as a modest B-side inspired by a snowy car journey Rea made with his wife Joan, when she had to drive to London to bring him home because he was broke and off the road. The song was re-recorded in 1988, slowly grew into a festive staple, and in recent years has regularly re-entered the UK and Irish charts every December, making his passing just before Christmas feel especially bittersweet for fans.
As someone who has listened to that track on countless winter drives, it now lands with an added layer of emotion; every replay feels like a small personal tribute to the man whose music became the soundtrack to so many journeys home.
Family, Tributes and Musical Legacy
Rea is survived by his wife Joan, whom he met as a teenager, and their daughters, who described him in their statement as their “beloved” husband and father and asked for privacy as they grieve.Tributes from fans, broadcasters and fellow musicians across TV, radio and social media have highlighted his gravelly tone, love of cars and the way his songs quietly embedded themselves in everyday life.
With more than 40 million records sold and a body of work that stretches from chart-topping rock albums to intimate blues projects, Chris Rea leaves behind a legacy built on resilience, craftsmanship and feeling—music that will keep people company on late-night roads and long drives home for many years to come.
