British Singer Chris Rea, author of “On the Beach”, has Died at Age 74

MUSIC: Chris Rea had released eight albums, all successful, in the 1980s

Fans of rock in mourning: the British singer Chris Rea, known in particular for his titles The Road to Hell, Josephine and Driving Home For Christmas, died at the age of 74, his family announced to the British media this Monday 22nd December 2025.

“It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our dear Chris”, his loved ones said in a statement, adding that he “passed away peacefully […] in hospital following a short illness”.

On the singer’s official Instagram account, a similar message was posted below a photo of him playing guitar.

A very prolific artist

Born in 1951 in Middlesbrough in the North of England, in a family of Italian and Irish origins, Chris Rea began his career in the 1970s. His first album, Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?, had revealed it to the United Kingdom and to United States, where the title Fool (If You Think It’s Over) earned him a nomination Grammy awards.

Mixing blues and rock with chiseled melodies, Chris Rea signed several with his misty voice. Star of the English rock variety, he has recorded more than twenty original albums over a forty-year career, including two – The Road to Hell (1989) and Inn (1991) – were number 1 in the United Kingdom.

Discreet in the city, bright on stage

This car racing fan released a Christmas compilation again this year The Christmas Album. “Chris’ music has composed the soundtrack for many lives, and his legacy will live on through them songs let him leave behind”, greeted his team in a message posted on the social networks.

He regularly spoke of his difficult relationship with the celebrity : “showbiz doesn’t interest me. Besides, if it were up to me, I would prefer to stay in the shadows to play the game guitar and compose for others rather than finding myself under the lights”, he declared for example in 1990.

Affected by cancer, in 2001 he had his pancreas removed, then was the victim of a Stroke in 2016. Chris Rea had been married for years to his wife Joan, whom he met at 16. The couple had two children.