‘Driving Home for Christmas’ Singer Chris Rea Dead at 74

Chris Rea, the singer-songwriter best known for the holiday hit “Driving Home for Christmas,” has died at the age of 74.

Rea’s family announced the news on Monday. “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of beloved Chris,” said a statement from the musician’s wife and two children to the BBC. “He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.”

“Chris’s music has created the soundtrack to many lives, and his legacy will live on through the songs he leaves behind,” they added. Additional details about Rea’s death were not immediately made public.

The British musician had suffered a series of health scares in recent years, having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1994. Having undergone surgery to remove his pancreas, part of his stomach and a portion of his intestines, Rea developed diabetes, according to The Guardian. In 2016, Rea suffered a stroke, and the following year, he collapsed on stage during a performance in Oxford.

Rea was born in 1951 in Middlesbrough, England, as one of seven children. Picking up the guitar for the first time at 21, he joined his first band, Magdalene, at age 22, before later joining the Beautiful Losers.

In 1974, Rea released his debut single as a solo artist, “So Much Love,” finding success in the U.S. four years later with “Fool (If You Think It’s Over),” from his debut album Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?, a release which earned him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

Rea’s popularity only grew throughout the 1980s with hits like 1986’s “Let’s Dance,” and what would eventually become his biggest hit, the 1986 holiday song “Driving Home for Christmas.” The song would go on to be included on Rea’s 1988 compilation album New Light Through Old Windows, which was followed by the releases of his albums The Road to Hell in 1989 and Auberge in 1991, which featured his popular songs “The Road to Hell,” “On the Beach,” and “Josephine.”

Throughout his career, Rea recorded 25 solo albums, including his final release, 2017’s Road Songs for Lovers.

Rea is survived by wife Joan and their two daughters, Josephine and Julia.