British singer Chris Rea dies at 74

London.- British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, internationally known for songs like ‘On The Beach’ or the Christmas song ‘Driving Home For Christmas’, has died at the age of 74, according to his family this Monday.

Rea died today in a hospital after «a brief illness», surrounded by his family, according to the statement distributed on behalf of his wife and two children by the British news agency Press Association (PA).

«With immense sadness we announce the death of our beloved Chris. He passed away peacefully in the hospital surrounded by his family», his relatives said, remembering the guitarist as well.

Pancreatic Cancer in 2000

Rea was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2000 and underwent surgery the following year, while in 2016 he suffered a stroke.

Born in 1951 in Middlesbrough (northern England) to an Italian father and an Irish mother, Christopher Anton Rea, one of seven siblings, spent his adolescence helping in the family ice cream parlor and even got his driving license with his father, Camillo’s, ice cream van.

He discovered his passion for music and the guitar in his youth, when he bought his first instrument, a 1961 Hofner V3, and, according to experts, his love for driving and travel influenced many of his songs.

His debut album, ‘Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?’, was released in 1978, and the song ‘Fool (If You Think It’s Over)’ was nominated for a Grammy.

The musician, known for his deep voice and distinctive guitar playing style, achieved fame in the seventies and eighties with hits like ‘Fool (If You Think It’s Over)’, ‘Let’s Dance’ and ‘The Road to Hell’.

Throughout his career he recorded 25 solo albums, of which two reached number one in the British charts: ‘The Road to Hell’ (1989) and ‘Auberge’ (1991).

A Christmas Classic

Launched in 1986, the song ‘Driving Home For Christmas’ is still today a Christmas classic, both in the United Kingdom and abroad. This year it was again featured in the festive season’s hit lists, reaching number 30 last week, and was also included in the Christmas advertising campaign of the well-known British department store M&S. As he explained on his website, the song, conceived when he was traveling with his wife by car, tells “the story of a tired traveler returning home, a moment of warmth, humor and festive spirit that has retained its charm over the years”. However, at first he did not want his record label to release it, as he was trying to build a reputation for his skill with the guitar. “At that time, the last thing I needed was to have a Christmas song going around. I did everything I could to prevent that record from being released. Fortunately, they did!”, he later acknowledged.