Culture
22 Dec 25

Tributes paid to Chris Rea

The English singer is being mourned by the musical community

Hot Press is deeply saddened to learn of the death of singer Chris Rea, aged just 74.

His family has issued an official statement saying: "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."

A native of Middlesbrough in northern England, Rea recorded 25 studio albums in a career dating back to the early 1970s with two of them topping the UK chart.

His 1978 debut album, Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?, included one of his signature tunes, 'Fool (If You Think It's Over)' which was adopted as something of an anthem by the offshore pirate radio station Radio Caroline as it continued to defy the authorities.

It also earned him a Best New Artist Grammy nomination, and a loyal following in the States.

Rea's big commercial breakthrough came in 1988 when his Water Sign album yielded the global smash 'I Can Hear Your Heartbeat', which introduced him to a younger club crowd.

The collection did particularly well in Ireland, with Rea touring here regularly on the back of its success. Again, pirate radio played a part with Chris getting heavy airplay on the original Radio Nova, the Dublin superpirate which could be heard across large swathes of the UK too.

In an act of Irish solidarity, Rea performed at the Self-Aid fundraising spectacular in May 1986 in the RDS, which aimed to boost domestic employment.

Since 1988, Chris has been a fixture on festive radio thanks to his song 'Driving Home For Christmas', which wasn't a major hit when released but has become a Yuletide staple since.

Touching tribute has been paid to him by local Teeside radio station, The Red, who observe: "Chris Rea was more than a world-class musician. He was one of us. Born in Middlesbrough, shaped by Teesside, and always proud of where he came from. His voice, his guitar, and his songwriting carried the sound and soul of this place far beyond the River Tees and across the world.

"From working-class roots to global success, Chris never forgot home. His music was honest, emotional, and deeply human. Songs that spoke of love, hardship, journeys, and home resonated because they were real, just like him.

"For so many of us, we felt that perfectly when he sang about 'Driving Home For Christmas', a line that felt less like a lyric and more like a shared Teesside moment.

"For generations of people on Teesside, Chris Rea was proof that you could come from here and still touch the world, without losing who you are."

Here are some more of the tributes being paid to Chris:

We're deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Chris Rea.

A Teesside icon. Rest in peace, Chris ❤️ pic.twitter.com/LFZHiXqYSX

— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) December 22, 2025

The full #ChrisRea set from Self Aid.
17th May 1986 pic.twitter.com/atPTgKPZAo

— KM2 archive (@KillianM2) December 23, 2025

A treasured photo taken with the gentleman that was Chris Rea. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/d7swnC7Aub

— Marty Whelan (@martylyricfm) December 22, 2025

What a lovely lovely man ❤️ pic.twitter.com/dlQCV2LjRY

— Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (@MWGoneFishing) December 22, 2025

So sad to hear of the death of @chrisreamusic . In 1986 Chris heard some of our early recording and via jon kelly offerd to come and play slide on the @deaconbluemusic debut album. This is still a lovely moment to remember: https://t.co/95MQquIEOX

— Ricky Ross (@rickyaross) December 22, 2025

I'm sorry to hear about the passing on of Chris Rea. I always liked him. And I guess now he truly is "driving home for Christmas". Travel onward well, Buddy.

— Mike Scott (@MickPuck) December 22, 2025