‘Driving Home for Christmas’ singer Chris Rea has died at the age of 74, with his family confirming the sad news on Monday following a battle with a short illness
Just hours before his sudden passing, music icon Chris Rea made a poignant reference to his beloved Christmas hit in his final social media post. The sad news of the 74-year-old’s death following a brief illness was confirmed by a spokesperson on Monday.
The Middlesbrough-born musician is perhaps most fondly remembered for his 1988 festive classic, ‘Driving Home For Christmas’. As the 2025 Yuletide season unfolded, he had been posting about the countdown to Christmas on social media.
On Sunday, the star shared a snapshot of a car journeying through snow on a bustling motorway. A Variable Message Sign in the picture displayed the message: “Driving home for Christmas with a thousand memories. Adding a caption of his own, Chris wrote: ” Adding his own touch, Chris captioned the post: “Top to toe in tailbacks … If it’s a white Christmas, let’s hope the journey’s a smooth one.”
He included the hashtags #DrivingHomeForChristmas, #ChristmasSongs, #ChristmasMusic and #ChrisRea, along with a snowflake and a car emoji. Tragically, just a few hours later, the singer passed away surrounded by his family.
A spokesperson announced on Monday: “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris. He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.”, reports the Mirror.
Chris had been battling numerous health issues in recent years, including peritonitis, pancreatic cancer and diabetes – with reports suggesting he was forced to inject insulin up to seven times daily whilst fighting these debilitating conditions.
News of his passing has prompted an outpouring of grief from devastated fans who have taken to social media to share heartfelt tributes and cherished memories of the beloved star.
One devastated supporter posted on X: “Genuinely gutted to hear this. A proper Teesside legend. Safe drive home Chris… Damn… he lived for his cars, wonderful guitarist, and made so many great albums. RIP Chris Rea… Aah no! Bad news..”
Another heartbroken fan shared: “Chris Rea has died. Shocked. Talented, he was also a really nice guy. I’m freaked because I mentioned him in a pre-Yule newsletter from my website. Chris had loads of friends in Ireland. He’ll be missed.”
The musician had previously opened up about his ongoing health battles, confessing: “I’ve had nine major operations in ten years. A lot of it is to do with something called retroperitoneal fibrosis, where the internal tissues attack each other. No one knew it existed 20 years ago, and it’s completely unpredictable.. It’s affected the colon, the pancreas, the gall bladder, the liver – and then I get a stroke.”
The star went on to acknowledge that his wellbeing was something he could never take for granted, regardless of the chart success and commercial triumphs he had achieved throughout his career.
He reflected: “I made a lot of money, but you can dangerously let it lead you on… It depends what company you keep. I once said to Michael Winner, ‘I’m the poorest man on this Barbados beach.’ On days like today, the richest man in the world is the one who hasn’t got a bad shoulder.”
Chris leaves behind his wife Joan Lesley, with whom he shared his life since their teenage years, and their two daughters; Josephine, born 16 September 1983, and Julia Christina, born 18 March 1989. In addition to Driving Home For Christmas, he composed hits such as On the Beach, Let’s Dance, and The Road To Hell.
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