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).
