Chris Rea has passed aged 74

Chris Rea, known for the hit Driving Home For Christmas, has died aged 74.

The singer had suffered from a short illness. In a statement on behalf of his wife and two children, a spokesman 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.”

Rea had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 33 and faced nine operations as he battled the illness.

In 2017, he collapsed on stage at the New Theatre, Oxford, mid-song. He had suffered a stroke a year earlier but went ahead with his live tour, The Road Songs For Lovers.

The singer-songwriter, from Middlesbrough, penned his Christmas hit in 1978. It was released as a single a decade later and has made an appearance in the charts during the festive period every year since 2007.

The song is at No 13 in this year’s Christmas chart.

Rea found fame in the late 1970s and '80s with hits such as Fool (If You Think It’s Over), Let’s Dance and The Road To Hell.

When The Road To Hell was released in 1989, he became one of the biggest solo stars in the UK.

The musician has previously been candid about his health battles after having his pancreas removed in 2001 following his cancer diagnosis in 1994.

A year after his stroke in 2016, he told BBC Breakfast: “I had a stroke exactly this time last year, and I stopped smoking this time last year.”

He had also revealed that his gallbladder and the left quadrant of his liver were “all gone” after an operation to treat his cancer.

Rea is survived by his wife Joan, who he began dating at the age of 16, and their daughters, Josephine and Julia.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.