LEGENDARY British singer-songwriter Chris Rea has tragically passed away aged 74.
The singer, from Middlesbrough, penned the smash hit Driving Home For Christmas in 1978.
Christopher Rea was born on 4 March 1951 in Middlesbrough in the North Riding of Yorkshire to an Italian father, Camillo Rea, and an Irish mother, Winifred K. Slee.
In 1973 he joined the local Middlesbrough band, Magdalene and began writing songs.
He went on to enjoy a long and sucesfull career on the British music scene.
His most famous song Driving Home for Christmas, song has made a reappearance on the UK Singles Chart every year since 2007.
It’s now a chart regular at this time of year, reaching its highest position in 2021 when it made it to number 10.
Rea was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of just 33 and faced nine serious operations – spending a total of 32 weeks in hospital.
While appearing on the TV show Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Christmas special in 1994 Rea told the hosts he had “never really gotten over” his diagnosis.
He has previously opened up on his health battle, revealing that some of his internal organs, his pancreas, gallbladder, and left quadrant of the liver were “all gone” after an operation.
It was after he had received the lifesaving surgery that the star discovered he had type 1 diabetes.
Speaking candidly about the moment he told his wife Joan Lesley about the diagnosis Rea said: “She pulled the car over and burst into tears.”
Chris has previously said he has to take “34 pills every day” after his health struggles.
His wife Joan was there when the hitmaker wrote the Christmas favourite Driving Home for Christmas.
The pair have been together since they met as 16 year olds in Middlesbrough and it is said Rea has the longest surviving relationship in the music industry.
The couple have two daughters together Josephine, born 16 September 1983, and Julia Christina, born 18 March 1989.
Speaking to Bob Mortimer about its origins, Chris previously said: “I was on the dole when I wrote that.
“My manager had just left me. I’d just been banned from driving.
“My now wife, Joan, had to drive down to London to pick me up in the Mini and take me home, and that’s when I wrote it.”
That Christmas drive up north was a magical one indeed, not only did he write a famous song, he also received a cheque for £15,000 upon stepping through his front door.
His song Fool (if you think it’s over) had become a hit in America and earned him a pretty sum. The timing couldn’t have been better given he was down to his last £200.
It was a while before Driving Home would make any money.