Driving Home for Christmas singer Chris Rea dies

The mayor of Middlesbrough, Chris Rea's hometown, has paid tribute to the "incredibly talented musician".

Chris Cooke said he was "forever a Teesside Legend".

He added: "Chris was an incredibly talented musician, and a much loved son of Middlesbrough. 

"Driving Home for Christmas has been and will always be a much loved soundtrack for Teessiders making their way home at this time of year.

"My sincerest condolences to his family and all those who knew him. I'm sure they'll be in the thoughts of people across Teesside this Christmas."

Rea's classic track is making its usual festive appearance in the charts (currently number 30 in the UK) but - ironically - it was written at a time when he wasn't allowed to drive.

Speaking on a Mortimer And Whitehouse Gone Fishing Christmas special in 2020, he told Mortimer: "I was on the dole when I wrote that.

"My manager had just left me. I'd just been banned from driving, right. 

"My now wife, Joan, she had to drive down to London, picked me up in the Mini, and take me home, and that's when I wrote it."

Chris Rea's perennial Christmas song is familiar to millions - The Road To Hell is also one of his biggest hits.

Featuring his distinctive husky voice, it's taken from the 1989 album of the same name - the singer's tenth.

Championship side Middlesbrough have posted a tribute on X...

Rea was born in Middlesbrough to an Italian father and Irish mother - but didn't pick up a guitar until age 21.

The late start didn't stop him, and he found fame in the late 1970s and 1980s with hits such as Fool (If You Think It's Over), Let's Dance and The Road To Hell.

His debut album, titled Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?, was released in 1978.

The track Fool (If You Think It's Over) in the album went on to be nominated for a Grammy.

When Road To Hell was released in 1989, he became one of the biggest solo stars in the UK, and cemented himself as a favourite among a predominantly male audience of a certain age.

Two of his later studio albums – The Road To Hell in 1989 and Auberge in 1991 – reached number one in the UK charts.

Driving Home For Christmas, first released in 1986, features in this year's M&S Food Christmas advert and sees comedian Dawn French sing along.

Rea was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had his pancreas removed in 2001, before suffering a stroke in 2016.

"Once they've taken your pancreas away, the rest of your life is dealing with not having a pancreas, which is pretty awful sometimes, but I'm still here," he said in a 2014 interview.

In 2017, he collapsed on stage while performing in Oxford and had to cancel some shows.

Three years later, he featured in Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing where he talked about his classic festive song.

A statement - provided on behalf of Rea's wife and two children - said: "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."

 Singer Chris Rea, famous for hits including 'Driving Home For Christmas', has died at the age of 74, a spokesperson for his family has said.