Beloved British Rocker and Christmas Classic Writer, Dies Before Christmas

A veteran UK rocker who wrote a beloved Christmas classic during a career spanning five decades has died just days before Christmas.

Ellie Henman, Douglas Simpson and Sam Creed – The Sun

British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, from Middlesbrough, has died at the age of 74.

Rea wrote the festive hit Driving Home for Christmas in 1978. The song has returned to the UK Singles Chart every year, becoming a seasonal staple for millions of listeners. A spokesperson for his family said he died in hospital following a short illness, three days before Christmas.

In a statement issued on behalf of his wife and their two children, the family said they were devastated by the loss and confirmed he passed away peacefully in hospital, surrounded by loved ones.

His wife, Joan, was with him at the time he wrote Driving Home for Christmas.

The couple had been together since they first met as 16-year-olds in Middlesbrough, and their relationship was often described as one of the longest-lasting in the music industry. They shared two daughters: Josephine, born September 16, 1983, and Julia Christina, born March 18, 1989.

Chris’ last TV appearance was on Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing in 2020. He joined the show for a special Christmas episode, where he spoke openly about serious health challenges he had faced over the years. The hour-long programme saw Bob Mortimer return to his childhood roots in Middlesbrough, where Rea was born in 1951.

Reflecting on how his Christmas hit came to be, Rea previously explained that he wrote it during a difficult period. He said he was unemployed at the time, had been dropped by his manager, and had recently been banned from driving. With Rea unable to get himself home, Joan drove down to London in their Mini to collect him—an experience he said directly inspired the song.

After that same journey back north, Rea said he walked through his front door to find a £15,000 cheque waiting for him. He explained the money came at exactly the right moment, as his track Fool (If You Think It’s Over) had become a hit in America and brought in a major payday—just as he claimed he had been down to his last few hundred pounds. He also noted that Driving Home for Christmas did not generate significant money right away.

Over his career, Rea released 25 studio albums, including two UK chart-toppers: The Road to Hell (1989) and its follow-up Auberge (1991). In Australia, his biggest chart success arrived in 1987, when Dancing with Strangers and its lead single Let’s Dance both reached the ARIA top 10. By the time he finally broke into the UK Top 10 with The Road to Hell (Part 2), he was already a major name across Europe.

Rea was born on March 4, 1951, in Middlesbrough, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. His father was Italian, Camillo Rea, and his mother was Irish, Winifred K. Slee. In 1973, he joined the local Middlesbrough band Magdalene and began writing songs, later building a long and successful career in British music.

Driving Home for Christmas has re-entered the UK Singles Chart every year since 2007 and has become a reliable fixture each festive season. It reached its highest chart position in 2021, when it climbed to number 10.

Rea faced multiple health struggles throughout his life. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at just 33 and later underwent nine major operations, spending a total of 32 weeks in hospital. In an interview with Saga, he described the diagnosis and its aftermath as a defining challenge—saying it felt like his personal “Mount Everest.” He also said he was determined to recover for his wife and daughters, even when doctors initially feared he might not survive his first operation.

While appearing on the Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Christmas special in 1994, Rea said he had “never really got over” the diagnosis. He had previously spoken about the extent of surgery, explaining that his pancreas, gallbladder, and part of his liver had been removed. Following the life-saving operation, he discovered he had type 1 diabetes.

Rea also recalled telling Joan Lesley about the diagnosis, saying she pulled the car over and broke down in tears. In the years after his health battles, he said he needed to take “34 pills every day.”

He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

This story originally appeared on The Sun and is republished here with permission.