RIP: Chris Rea Dead at 74 – "Driving Home for Christmas" Singer Passes Peacefully: Chris Rea, the gravel-voiced British blues-rock icon behind the holiday staple "Driving Home for Christmas," died at 74 on December 22, 2025, after a short illness in hospital, surrounded by his wife Joan and daughters Josephine and Julia . Born in 1951 in Middlesbrough to an Italian father and Irish mother, Rea rose from family ice cream cafes to global fame with 1978's U.S. hit "Fool (If You Think It's Over)," earning a Grammy nod, and later UK smashes like "The Road to Hell" across 25 albums . Battling pancreatic cancer since 2001—losing his pancreas—and a 2016 stroke, his death came amid family tragedies, including two siblings lost in recent months, yet tributes celebrate his husky legacy as Middlesbrough's proud son . Fans worldwide mourn as his festive anthem echoes this poignant Christmas week. Story By Donnell Ballard. #KeithRichards #ChrisLane #DrivingAfter65 #DrivingAfter65 #AgingDrivers #ElderlyDrivers #music